The recent appointment of a Cabinet secretary-general and members of the Banking Control Commission do not indicate any imminent appointments in the Army or security services, a ministerial source from the March 14 alliance told The Daily Star.
The source added that it was too early to decide on new security and military appointments, including those of Army commander and chief of staff. Both posts are scheduled to become vacant in September.
Until then, a number of important developments could take place that would affect the selections, including the election of a new president, the source said. It would then be possible for the government to reconfigure power using the new appointments, starting with an Army commander to succeed Gen. Jean Kahwagi. Mount Lebanon Governor Fouad Fleifel was appointed as the Cabinet’s secretary-general Wednesday.
The ministerial source ruled out the possibility that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun would withdraw his ministers from the Cabinet if the military appointments were not made soon, and his son-in-law, Brig. Gen. Shamel Roukoz, was not appointed as the next head of the Lebanese Army.
But without consensus among the different political factions, the appointments cannot be made, the source said. “We are in a democratic country that has a system and a Constitution which specify the way appointments are made.”
As the presidential deadlock affects one constitutional institution after another, Defense Minister Samir Moqbel has tried to isolate the security services from the crisis, by postponing the retirement of a number of senior security officials.
But there is no sign that an agreement will be reached anytime soon on successors for a number of security officials, starting with Brig. Elias Saade, head of the police, who retires on May 22.
There is also little chance of Parliament passing a draft law that would elevate the retirement age of all military personnel. A number of political disputes have erupted over such a proposal and security officials have expressed their reservations about the idea.
Aoun has proposed Brig. Imad Othman, incumbent head of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch, as ISF director general, and Roukoz, now head of the Army Commando Unit, as Army commander. Othman is close to the Future Movement.
Aoun and his party have tried to market this settlement among political allies and rivals, including the Future Movement, who have reportedly voiced no objection.
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk conveyed the Future Movement’s approval of the nominees to Aoun, according to sources, but Machnouk added that the appointments required consultation with other political powers, especially the Future Movement’s allies in the March 14 coalition.
It was reported that Aoun also consulted with Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who both expressed the need to ensure political accord, but did not give a direct answer to his plea.
Jumblatt asserted that he was against the extension of security officials’ terms in principle, adding that he did not oppose Aoun’s proposal but that it required agreement on the selections.
The next day, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour visited Kahwagi on behalf of Jumblatt and, according to sources, asserted support for the commander until an agreement is reached to appoint his successor.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil presented Aoun’s suggestions to Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, who said the issue should be tackled as part of the ongoing dialogue between their parties.
Bassil also visited Kataeb Party leader Amine Gemayel at his residence in Bekfaya, but the visit did not produce a positive outcome, according to sources. Gemayel insisted that they needed to focus on electing a president before wrangling over other vacant positions.
Bassil stressed to Gemayel that Aoun insisted on nominating himself for the presidency. Gemayel told Bassil that the Kataeb had reservations on the appointment of Roukoz as Army commander, as both Aoun and Roukoz were not only politically aligned, but members of the same family. He added that he would accept the appointments on the condition that Aoun withdrew his nomination for the presidency.
After Bassil’s visits, communication between the different Christian parties came to a halt. Geagea later sent a letter to Aoun echoing Gemayel’s suggestion – that if Aoun wanted Roukoz to become the next Army commander, he should give up his bid for the presidency.
Hezbollah has yet to announce its stance on the proposed candidates. Sources said the group was still examining the available options and would wait to announce its decision, noting that it did not comment when other security officials previously had their retirements postponed.
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