Suleiman, Aoun Bicker on President of Higher Judicial Council

President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun are bickering over the appointments of top civil servants to administrative posts reserved for Christians, informed sources said.

The sources told As Safir daily published Saturday that Suleiman and Aoun have conflicting viewpoints on vacant posts, particularly the presidency of the Higher Judicial Council.

Both have rejected each other’s proposed candidates for the post, they said.

Informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that Aoun has suggested Tanious Meshleb for the presidency of the HJC but Suleiman rejected the candidate.

Aoun discussed the issue of appointments and the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon with his top allies during a meeting he held in Rabieh on Friday night, As Safir said.

The meeting was attended by Marada movement chief Suleiman Franjieh, head of the Lebanese Democratic Party Talal Arslan, State Minister Marwan Khaireddine, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and Tashnag party chief Hovig Mekhitarian.

The conferees agreed to coordinate their stances inside the cabinet when it discusses the appointments and the STL funding, sources told the newspaper.

Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammed Fneish said that the appointments for top administrative posts are awaiting the proposals of involved ministers. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told As Safir in his turn that his proposal on the appointment of district commissioners and governors is ready.

The appointments could be made within the coming weeks, he said.