Salam reportedly seeking unanimous approval of army plan

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is working on securing a “smooth” cabinet session on Friday, in coordination with Baabda and Ain el-Tineh, and he prefers that the army’s plan on arms monopoly be “unanimously approved, without resorting to a vote,” media reports said.

“The ministers of the Shiite Duo will attend the session but will not take part in discussing the plan’s details, but will rather voice their stances clearly,” the reports said.

The Duo has meanwhile requested that additional clauses be put on cabinet’s agenda so that the session does not exclusively tackle the army’s plan and President Joseph Aoun and PM Salam have accepted this proposal, the reports added.

Sources close to Salam meanwhile said that the premier is determined to press on with the disarmament decision that was taken by the government, noting that his latest meeting with Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal was positive.

“The stances were identical on the need to abide by the decision and implement it,” the sources said.

Informed sources meanwhile warned that the government’s insistence on its decision might reflect negatively on the level of cooperation with Hezbollah, “even in the area south of the Litani River.”