Cabinet to Make 1 Appointment on Tuesday Amid Alleged Differences between Miqati, Aoun

The cabinet is expected to hold its next meeting on Tuesday to discuss routine administrative issues except for the appointment of the director-general of investments at the energy ministry.

The ministers received on Monday a partial copy of the agenda that includes 54 items.

According to An Nahar daily, Ghassan Hassan Baidoun will most likely be appointed to the post but al-Liwaa newspaper said that Ghassan Murtada is the top candidate for the position.

The agenda also includes a request made by the energy ministry to hold exams to fill vacancies at the hydraulics and electricity resources directorate general and at Electricite du Liban.

Another item on the agenda includes a finance ministry request to approve an agreement signed between the Lebanese state and the European Union to fund trade and tax reform projects.

Informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that the agenda includes only one appointment to a state institution due to differences between Premier Najib Miqati and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun over the candidates for top posts.

It quoted sources as saying that the differences were the reason behind a decision to freeze the appointment of Orthodox Brig. Gen. Ghassan Salem as airport security chief.

They said Hizbullah has advised Miqati to freeze the appointments pending an agreement among officials to essential posts in the state such as the interior ministry’s political affairs director.