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The Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning was canceled due to a lack of quorum, and the next session is anticipated to convene next Monday. With the absence of three ministers, coupled with the customary non-participation of ministers aligned with the Free Patriotic Movement, the participant count dwindled to 15, falling short of the required quorum of 16 ministers.
Many observers linked the cancellation of the meeting to concerns about the leadership of the Lebanese Army and endeavors to avert a void at its command. This predicament is exacerbated by the imminent retirement of Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, scheduled for January 10 next year. Despite information from various political sources indicating that the session’s agenda did not officially encompass discussions on the Army command, there was a potential for ministers to address it informally. This was especially significant considering the strenuous efforts being exerted to forestall a leadership vacuum in the military, the sole surviving institution in a country undergoing a deep crisis.
Although there was near-unanimity on the imperative to defer General Joseph Aoun’s retirement for six months to a year, given the prevailing political and military conditions, some factions, driven by opportunism, persist in employing various tactics to obstruct a timely resolution.
The only political figure opposing Joseph Aoun’s prolonged tenure is Gebran Bassil, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement. He leverages various legal and constitutional pretexts with the sole aim of expeditiously removing him from the Army leadership in order to distance him from the presidency. The Commander of the Armed Forces is presently regarded as a consensus presidential candidate by numerous local, regional, and international entities. The extraordinary challenges confronting Lebanon, be it the looming threat of war with Israel or the repercussions of a leadership vacuum in the Army in a country lacking a president and a government with full powers, appear to take a backseat for those engaging in obstructive tactics to fulfill personal objectives.
The Absentees
Ministers aligned with the Free Patriotic Movement adhered to their customary practice of boycotting the Cabinet meeting. Other notable absentees included the Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi (engaged in receiving condolences for the loss of his brother), the Minister of Economy, Amin Salam (currently on travel), and the Minister of Information, Ziad Makari. Makari, affiliated with the Marada party, clarified in a statement that he received communication from the Cabinet’s Secretary-General, Mahmoud Makiyeh, upon his arrival at the Serail, notifying him of the session’s rescheduling to the following Monday. He emphasized, “I am not among those responsible for the quorum failure.”
Regarding the Minister of Labor, Moustafa Bayram (affiliated with Hezbollah), he arrived at the Serail after the session had been postponed.
While a majority of stakeholders concur on the principle of retaining Joseph Aoun in his position for a specified duration, the procedural details have yet to be conclusively determined. The involved parties, including Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, are actively seeking a solution that cannot be legally challenged.
Recommendation
One option is that the government adopts a “recommendation” to postpone the retirement of all security service chiefs with the rank of major general and forwards it to Parliament for approval. This proposal would not only be advantageous for Joseph Aoun but also for other service chiefs, including the Director-General of the Internal Security Forces, Imad Osman, who is also set for retirement in the coming months.
The strength of this proposal stems from its independence, separate from a suggestion by the Minister of Defense, Maurice Slim, who is affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement. Additionally, its broader scope, notably encompassing the Army chief, helps mitigate the likelihood of facing legal challenges.
The Lebanese Forces parliamentary bloc, which proposed a bill on October 31 to extend Joseph Aoun’s retirement by a year, received a favorable response from Berri during a visit on Monday. Berri expressed his willingness to wait for two weeks, to allow the government time to address the matter, and to convene a parliamentary session if the Cabinet fails to resolve the issue. The Lebanese Forces’ bill, deemed urgent, would be accorded priority on the session’s agenda.
Consultative Meeting
With the cancellation of the Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Mikati held consultative talks with the ministers who were present at the Serail. He informed them that the Cabinet’s General Secretariat had undertaken a legal and constitutional study on the most suitable options to avoid a leadership vacancy in the Army.
The 16-item agenda, including matters related to the postal sector and Starlink’s satellite internet service, remained unaddressed.
