Military Institution Faces Threat of Paralysis over Vacancies

The resignation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati has caused a vacuum in the military council that is headed by army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, As Safir daily reported on Saturday.

The newspaper said that the five-member council will lose its decision-making authorities starting May 2 after two of its members Maj. Gen. Michel Mnayyer and Nicolas Mezher retire.

The council would then lose quorum which requires the presence of four out of five members in any of its meetings, As Safir said.

The vacancies in the council would be followed by a similar vacuum in the army's management department. Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman Shehaitli will retire around May 24.

Qahwaji will also turn 60 in September, the maximum age for the post of the army commander.

As Safir said that the fate of the military institution was the subject of serious discussions by Miqati's cabinet before its resignation late March.

But his decision to resign froze the appointments in military posts over the failure of the caretaker cabinet to convene.

Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi handed over the ISF leadership to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem late March.

He turned 59 - the ISF’s maximum working age – on April 1. Salem will serve as acting head of the ISF until a new director-general is appointed.