Cabinet to refer killing to country”s highest court
The Cabinet said after an extraordinary session late Wednesday that it would refer the killing of Brigadier General Francois Hajj, chief of operations of the Lebanese Armed Forces, to the Judicial Council, the highest court in the country.
The government”s decision was announced by Information Minister Ghazi Aridi following a meeting to discuss the killing of Hajj in a car bomb in Baabda earlier in the day. “The government will ask United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to … offer the necessary technical assistance,” Aridi said.
Aridi said Premier Fouad Siniora considered Hajj”s killing a “national loss” and called for responding to it by “rushing” to Parliament to elect a new president “as soon as possible” in line with the Constitution.
Aridi also said the Cabinet welcomed a statement issued by the UN Security Council on Tuesday that called for electing a Lebanese president “in accordance with the Constitution.”
The Cabinet convened on Wednesday after it suspended its meetings for almost one month. The meeting was held at the Grand Serail in the absence of Public Works and Transport Minister Mohammad Safadi.
A source close to the Cabinet told The Daily Star that ministers did not discuss the issue of replacing assassinated Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel or the possibility of accepting the resignations of the six opposition Cabinet members who resigned in November 2006 and filling their seats. “But the two issues are expected to be discussed later,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Earlier in the day, Siniora headed a security meeting at the Grand Serail in the presence of Defense Minister Elias Murr and Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa. State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, the head of the Internal Security Forces Ashraf Rifi and other high-ranking security officials also took part in the meeting.
At the start of the meeting, participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Hajj.
Siniora said Hajj”s assassination was aimed at terrorizing and destabilizing the army, which he said “has succeeded in achieving great national tasks.”
“The message is obvious and the response will be more tenacity and firmness,” Siniora said. “The criminal message is targeted against the [military] institution”s role to preserve the country”s security and civil peace.”
“But the Lebanese people will always support their army in protecting the country and its institutions,” he added.