Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Minister of Defense Maurice Slim held a meeting on Thursday in what was seen as a first step towards a rapprochement following the deterioration in their relationship over the army command issue.
In the afternoon, Mikati received Slim for a meeting of “frank explanation.” The meeting was arranged by Hezbollah, which explains the presence of the Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mortada, who was the driving force behind the meeting. Slim reportedly expressed his regrets for “the misunderstanding that occurred” with Mikati, according to al-Markazia news agency. Slim affirmed his “absolute and constant respect for the Presidency of the Council and his esteem for the Prime Minister.”
At the end of the meeting, Slim declared that the talks had taken place, “as usual,” in an atmosphere of “fraternity, frankness and mutual respect.” He announced that he had discussed with Mikati “issues related to the institutions of the Ministry of National Defense, and particularly certain vacant positions.”
He also said he agreed with Mikati “on the need to continue strengthening the military institution.”
When pressed about his possible participation in a Cabinet meeting to appoint a chief of staff, Slim retorted that the question of appointments “within the army, and not only that of the chief of staff, will be settled in accordance with the Constitution and the Defense Law.”
Slim also pointed out that the matter was still under discussion.
Slim is obviously waiting for the outcome of ongoing deliberations to unblock the issue before giving the slightest indication of his intentions, which will evidently reflect the position of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), to which he is close. FPM leader Gebran Bassil lost the first round with last Friday’s parliamentary vote on the law delaying the retirement of security service chiefs, including the army commander, and is now seeking to make up for his defeat by trying to re-establish himself on the issue of appointments to the Military Council. These include the appointment of a chief of staff, an inspector general and a director general of administration.
Relations between Mikati and Slim seriously deteriorated when the latter arrived screaming at a Cabinet meeting to discuss extending the term of office of the Army’s Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun. Resolutely hostile to keeping Aoun in his post, he accused Mikati of overstepping his prerogatives.
Consequently, Mikati told the Council of Ministers that he has turned the page on Slim, who showed disrespect by raising his voice against him, adding that communication between them would be limited “to the formal level, through correspondence.”
Meanwhile, the next step for a rapprochement remains uncertain, pending the outcome of intensive mediation contacts deployed by Hezbollah and the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), who are trying to settle the dispute.
