BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun Friday fired back at those who have criticized him over remarks against extending the retirement age of security and military officers.
“I have presented many constitutional and legitimate points that prove that the decision to extend the terms of some military officers is against all norms,” Aoun said in remarks published by local daily As-Safir.
“I was surprised that some [politicians] have got back to me a political response, rather than a legal or constitutional response,” he added.
Aoun denied that his political or presidential aspirations were behind his objection to the extensions.
"There is an insistence by some [political] experts to distort the facts by linking my objection to this extension to political or presidential desires...," he said. "[But] my stance has nothing to do with any presidential or family considerations.”
“My stance exclusively stems from the need to respect the institutional standards. No more, no less.”
On Tuesday, Aoun voiced opposition to extending the terms of security officials and announced that he no longer has confidence in Lebanon’s defense minister after he signed a unilateral decree to extend the term of Maj. Gen. Mohammad Khair, the secretary-general of the Higher Defense Council.
Khair was supposed to retire on Feb. 20.
“In military law there is no such thing as extending [the terms of] officers, and no authority is allowed to disrupt the military hierarchy and impose the heresy of extension,” Aoun, an ex-Army commander, told a news conference following a meeting of his Reform and Change bloc.
“We withdraw our confidence in Defense Minister Samir Moqbel over his violation of his prerogatives in terms of governance practices.”
The remarks came after Moqbel submitted to the Cabinet a draft law that would raise the retirement age of senior Army and police officers.
Under the proposed draft law, the retirement age of the Army commander would be raised from 60 to 63, a major general from 59 to 62, a brigadier general from 58 to 61, and a colonel from 56 to 59.
Among senior military and security officers who are scheduled to retire soon are Army Intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel on March 20, gendarmerie chief Brig. Elias Saade on May 22, ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous on June 5, and Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman on Aug. 7.
Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi, whose mandate was extended by two years in 2013, retires on Sept. 23. This is in addition to a number of Army brigadiers holding key posts in the administration and the housing department.
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