Aoun Tells Higher Defense Council ‘Security Must Be Controlled’

Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council convened at Baabda on Friday to tackle the security situation before next week’s parliament session dedicated to hold a confidence vote for the new Cabinet, amid demonstrators’ pledges to escalate protests.

President Michel Aoun chaired the meeting held in the presence of PM Hassan Diab, ministers and leaders of security and military apparatuses.

A spokesman for the Council recited a statement to reporters after the meeting stating that President Michel Aoun has "stressed the need to keep security under control to preserve stability and civil peace."

"He also said that efforts must be coordinated between military and security agencies to preempt any acts of sabotage," added the spokesman.

As per regulations, the decisions of the Higher Defense Council are kept secret.

The Parliament is scheduled to convene on Tuesday and Wednesday to review the new Cabinet’s Policy Statement and hold a confidence vote.

Demonstrators have vowed to escalate protests in parallel with the confidence vote for Diab's government which they rejected since inception on January 21.

The policy statement, approved on Thursday, comes as Lebanon grapples with a financial crisis, which has seen the value of the Lebanese pound fall by a fourth on the parallel market.

Lebanon has been rocked by protests since October 17 demanding a complete overhaul of a political class which activists say is inept, corrupt and motivated by personal gain.

Demonstrators have on several occasions protested near the Parliament in Nejmeh Square preventing lawmakers from reaching the building, demonstrating against rulers blamed for mismanagement, corruption and steering the country towards economic collapse.