According to local channel LBCI, the four vice-governors of Banque du Liban (BDL), who last week threatened to resign if a new BDL governor is not appointed by July 31, will maintain their positions for the time being.
This news followed persistent rumors on Saturday that the four vice-governors, Wassim Mansouri, Bachir Yakzan, Sélim Chahine, and Alexandre Mouradian, were considering resigning on Monday.
According to LBCI, the four will be stepping up their meetings, as well as their contacts, in the coming days to push the authorities to seriously address the issue of the vacancy at the head of the BDL when Governor Riad Salameh’s term expires on July 31, as well as that of the necessary reforms.
This reprieve could be explained by a resumption of international contacts to solve the Lebanese crisis. On Monday, representatives of France, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar will meet in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is currently in the Gulf.
Le Drian is due to report back on the results of his mission to Beirut last June and to discuss proposals for a way out of the crisis, which is said to involve more than just unblocking the presidential elections.
A settlement could thus cover a whole package, including the formation and composition of a new government, the expected reforms in Lebanon, as well as appointments to key posts, notably the head of the BDL and the army.
