Report: Cabinet Will Convene, Qahwaji's Term on Agenda

Prime Minister Tammam Salam will call the cabinet for a meeting as soon as he returns from a U.N. meeting in New York, to address a pending agenda that was postponed from an earlier gathering including delaying the term extension of Army commander General Jean Qahwaji and Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

Ministerial sources spoke on condition of anonymity and asserted to the daily that Salam will call the cabinet to session next Thursday to discuss an agenda that was postponed after it was boycotted by ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement and Tashnaq party. It is planned to address other issues that surfaced.

Delaying the term extension of the Army commander is expected to be a key subject at the meeting, shall it be held.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel is expected to extend Qahwaji's term even if the cabinet did not convene, the sources told the daily.

Ad Diyar daily quoted Moqbel as saying: “The terms of Qahwaji and Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman end on September 29 at midnight, and the last cabinet session is scheduled on the same day. It is up to the Premier to call the cabinet for session. If he does, then I will suggest (new names) the appointment of successors shall the two-thirds of the council of ministers approve the appointments. But if we fail, then I will use my constitutional jurisdictions based on national responsibilities and will take the appropriate decision.”

Moqbel had in August last year postponed the retirement of Qahwaji and Salman extending their terms by one year, after the political forces failed to reach an agreement on security and military appointments.

The army chief's term has been extended twice since 2013 despite political objections, especially from the Free Patriotic Movement, which says it rejects term extensions for any military or security official.