BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Cabinet approved the appointment of a new five-member Banking Control Commission Thursday, ministerial sources told The Daily Star.
The sources said turtles were also expected to unite rival March 14 and March 8 ministers to approve a decision to recognize World Turtle Day.
The new commission’s members included Samir Hammoud as president, and members Joseph Sarkis, Ahmad Safa, Munir Alyan, and Sami Azar.
Each of the five members represented a different religious sect, in line with the state's "power sharing" policy.
There was no information whether the appointments were made by consensus, or if the decision was put to a vote.
Ministers had voiced contradictory views in that regard before walking into the meeting hall.
Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, from the March 8 coalition, said he was “fully ready” to discuss the matter, stressing that he is adamantly opposed to “extending or renewing” the commission’s term which expires on March 17.
March 14 Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb emphasized that “extension” is an option in case there was no agreement on the names of candidates on the five-man commission.
The ministerial sources contended that the ministers will have to adopt one of two options: either to extend the commission’s term, or to reach an agreement over proposed candidates.
Those who have expressed reservations over the appointments because the new members are supposed to take an oath before the president of the republic, are expected to accept an arrangement under which the new commission would start operations and make the sermon once a new president is elected.
Lebanon has been without a head of state for the past 10 months, because of Parliament’s failure to elect a successor to President Michel Suleiman whose term expired on May 25 last year.
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