Traditional Army Day Ceremony Canceled Due to Presidential Vacuum

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A ceremony will be held at the Fayadieh Military Academy to mark the 69th anniversary of the Lebanese army's founding instead of the traditional ceremony due to the ongoing presidential vacuum.

The traditional military parade held to mark the Army Day will not be held this year because of the failure of the political arch-foes to agree on a presidential candidate.

The central ceremony will also see the graduation of around 280 officers and their promotion to the rank of lieutenant.

The head of the military academy is expected to hand over certificates on Friday to the graduating officers until a new head of state is elected.

The new president will distribute swords to graduating cadets in a small ceremony soon after his elections.

Conventionally the president hands in swords to graduating cadets but the vacuum threatens the holding of the usual ceremony, prompting the cabinet to only grant the officers their certificates in a smaller social occasion.

The army command broadcast a televised ad under the slogan “We are Right and the People's Hope” to express its disappointment with this year's Army Day, which falls on August 1.

The ad shows officers cleaning their swords but never taking them.

“Due to the presidential vacuum, the traditional ceremony was canceled,” the ad says.

H.K.

M.T.

Comments 4
Default-user-icon dddd (Guest) 01 August 2014, 08:59

let hasan nasrallah do it instead! he is more than president and he deserves this being 'ashraf wa7ad bel balad'

Thumb _mowaten_ 01 August 2014, 10:39

Keep your cheap rants for the other 364 days. Just for one day, try to have some decency.

Thumb _mowaten_ 01 August 2014, 10:09

Yes, ceremony or no ceremony, today is Lebanese Army's day.
Respect to all those who risk their lives to protect this country

Default-user-icon lteif biujamra (Guest) 01 August 2014, 11:11

First he starts two wars because of tge me ir no president then runs away deserting the army, now he causes the traditional ceremonie celebrating it tk be canceled by causing the me or no president vacuum. Michel Aoun #worse army commander ever!