Cabinet Meets Wednesday over Election-Related Appointments” Crisis
In the midst of the election race, Cabinet will meet Wednesday in a desperate effort to resolve the issue of appointments related to the polls.
President Michel Suleiman will likely put forth at the meeting, to be held at Baabda Palace, a list of names suggested by Interior Minister Ziad Baroud to fill the vacancies in Category A administrative posts.
According to the daily An Nahar, the list includes Brig. Gen. Nicola Habr, currently Director-General of the joint management of the interior ministry, for the Beirut mayor post, Baalbek governor Omar Yassin to become Mount Lebanon governor and retired Brig. Gen. Hussein Laqqis as Director-General for Political Affairs in the interior ministry.
It said the opposition – during a Tuesday meeting at the residence of Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Issam Abu Jamra — called for the adoption of a "comprehensive basket" that would include appointments of the Higher Constitutional Council (HCC) according to their perceptions and approval of the 2009 draft budget together with that of the Council for the South.
The daily As Safir, for its part, said the conferees tasked Abu Jamra to ask for a meeting with President Suleiman prior to Wednesday”s Cabinet session "in order to put him in the picture of the joint opposition stance."
Al Liwaa newspaper, however, said the opposition adheres to Laqqis” appointment as interior ministry director-general. It also demands its share of three of five members in the HCC nominations, a quorum that can block the Council”s decisions, including the contest of parliamentary elections.
The demand was bluntly made by MP Michel Aoun during a meeting with a popular delegation that visited him in Rabiyeh on Tuesday.
Aoun stressed he was holding on to four HCC members. He accused the majority camp of hindering the appointments and renewed allegations that the "President”s team" was interfering in the election campaign in favor of candidates loyal to Prime Minister Fouad Saniora”s government.
Aoun called on Suleiman to "publicly" announce his support for the president”s bloc.
An Nahar said three of the five Council members yet to be elected have been agreed upon. They include Judge Suheil Abdel Samad (Druze), former cabinet minister Assaad Diab (Shiite) and magistrate Salah Mukheiber (Greek Orthodox).
It said Tawfik Soubra, a Sunni, is likely to become the fourth candidate, while the fifth is said to be either former head of the bar association Raymond Eid, a Maronite, or Issam Suleiman, a professor of constitutional law.
On the majority part, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat quoted ministerial sources as saying several leaders within the March 14 coalition have voiced "objection" for Laqqis” appointment to political affairs, particularly by al Mustaqbal Movement and some of its allies.
The sources also admitted to difficulties in assigning Habr and Yassin.
But As Safir, citing ministerial sources, said the majority was willing to accept the proposal regarding the appointments of Habr, Yassin and Laqqis.
Al Liwaa also quoted a March 14 Cabinet source as saying that the pro-government alliance believes that a political breakdown of the five seats in the Constitutional Council "may not be appropriate for the work of the constitutional institution."