Report: Salameh won't stay in his post after his term expires

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh will leave his post at the end of this month when his term will expire, a media report said on Monday.

“This is the conclusion of the discussions that were held prior to the Eid al-Adha holiday over the file of the vacant, high-ranking state posts,” al-Akhbar newspaper said.

As per Lebanon’s Code of Money and Credit, the governor post should go to the first deputy governor until the appointment of an incumbent governor. The current first deputy governor is Wassim Mansouri, who is close to the Shiite Duo.

According to al-Akhbar, Mansouri returned last week from Washington, where he met with officials from the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and other U.S. officials concerned with the banking sector in Lebanon.

“Mansouri has been quoted as saying that he sensed no U.S. objection to him assuming the governor’s missions and that it was agreed to coordinate with the relevant U.S. authorities regarding the management of the banking sector and the financial and monetary situations,” the daily said.

“The U.S. officials, however, stressed to Mansouri the need to appoint an incumbent governor,” al-Akhbar quoted informed sources as saying.

According to the same sources, the Americans are still in favor of allotting the governor post to former minister Camille Abousleiman, “despite his concern over accepting the mission in the absence of consensus on him, especially that he sensed in his previous tours serious reservations, not to mention that influential forces inside and outside the government have informed (caretaker PM Najib) Mikati of their rejection of him assuming this post.”