Ministerial sources said that the Cabinet will continue discussions on the mechanism of administrative appointments on Friday. The focus will be on addressing gaps in the plan originally prepared by Minister Mohammad Fneish and approved by Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government in 2010—a plan that was never implemented due to a legal challenge by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) before the Constitutional Council. The FPM objected to the plan because it reduced the authority of the relevant minister within their ministry.
According to the sources, the ongoing discussions aim to strike a balance between the minister’s role and the oversight authorities—particularly the Civil Service Board—to ensure the mechanism is not challenged again.
The sources also indicated that the appointment of the Governor of the Central Bank will take place outside this mechanism, following an agreement on a candidate. However, they ruled out the possibility of the appointment happening in the next session.
Furthermore, they noted significant interest from the US in the selection of the next governor, given the critical role the position will play in the coming phase. This includes overseeing necessary reforms—especially anti-money laundering efforts, as Lebanon has shifted to a cash-based economy after the financial crisis—and ensuring that Hezbollah’s funding sources are curbed.
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