Cabinet Fails to Reach Agreement on State Security despite 'Lengthy' Discussions
The cabinet held a regular session on Thursday to address various pending affairs with the contentious issue of general-directorate of state security taking up the majority of discussions.
Information Minister Ramzi Jreij told reporters following the nearly four-hour meeting that “lengthy” talks were held over the issue, but no agreement was reached over it.
The discussions took up so much of the allotted time of the cabinet session that no other issue could be addressed, he said from the Grand Serail.
The government will convene again on Tuesday.
Following the meeting, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said: “It appears that the sect of state security agency is more important than the government, airport security, the Internal Security Forces, and General Security.”
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil remarked: “We want to resolve the issue of general-directorate of state security, but the government got stuck.”
In March, the Kataeb Party’s three representatives in the cabinet in addition to Minister Michel Pharaon warned that they would take action if the government fails to resolve the “marginalization” of the general-directorate of state security.
"The siege laid on this agency is unjustified," said Pharaon.
Economy Minister Alain Hakim, of the Kataeb Party, had said at the time that all Christians reject the neglect of the department.
The general-directorate of state security had sent a bill to the cabinet on March 20, 2014 asking for the creation of a six-member leadership authority under which the director-general, Maj. Gen. George Qaraa, a Catholic, would have the casting vote.
But the former secretary general of the cabinet, Suhail Bouji, paralyzed the plan by saying that the approval of the bill requires a draft-law to be adopted by the parliament unlike a decision made by the Shura Council, the report said.
Media reports quoted a ministerial source as saying that Bouji’s move likely came as a result of his friendship with the deputy director-general, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Tufaili.
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