Officials Seek to Resolve Judicial Appointments by Next Week

The controversial issue of appointments is expected to be settled shortly as disputes over the matter have been resolved before President Michel Suleiman's visit to Latin America last week, An Nahar newspaper reported on Monday.

According to the daily, Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati agreed on the names of the three candidates to be appointed as the head of the Higher Judicial Council, the General Prosecutor and the head of the Judicial Inspection Board.

As Safir newspaper said that Judge Jean Fahd will be appointed as head of the HJC, Judge Tannous Meshlib as the Attorney General for Mount Lebanon, while Judge Hatem Madi as the General Prosecutor.

Economy and Trade Minister Nicolas Nahhas expected a cabinet session on October 15 to witness the appointment of the head of the HJC, the General Prosecutor and the oil authority members.

The position of the head of the HJC remained vacant over a lingering dispute between Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, as the president held onto his candidate, Judge Alice Shabtini, while Aoun insisted on the appointment of Meshlib.

However, the bickering officials seem to have reached a settlement over the matter.

A ministerial source ruled out that the matter will be resolved during Monday's cabinet session at the Grand Serail or the session that will be held on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace. But a sources told As Safir that the cabinet session on Wednesday might witness some administrative appointments.

A ministerial source told al-Liwaa newspaper that the appointments will be approved gradually, while Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said in comments published in As Safir that the appointments might be delayed further over disputes on whether to approve the appointments in as full package or not.

Sources close to Miqati told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the names of the members to the General Prosecution council remain a point of contention among the bickering officials.

Judge Samir Hammoud has been filling the post of acting General Prosecutor after Judge Saeed Mirza's tenure ended in July.

The HJC is formed of 10 members in which the head of the council, the General Prosecutor and the head of the Judicial Inspection Board are appointed by a decree issued by the cabinet.

Two of the remaining seven are chosen by the members of the Court of Cassation and the remaining five are appointed by the justice minister and approved by the president without necessarily consulting the government.

In June, Suleiman approved a decree referred by Miqati and drafted by Qortbawi to appoint five judges to the HJC as the tenure of the current members ended.