Report: Jumblat Seeking to Settle Differences between Hariri, Aoun

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Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat is reportedly seeking to convince Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri to agree on demands by head of Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun concerning the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief.

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that Jumblat contacted several parties, including Hizbulah, expressing his readiness to try to convince Hariri with accepting Aoun's demands.

“It's better to advice Hariri not to anger Aoun,” sources close to Jumblat told the daily.

The PSP chief reportedly told Hariri that “the appointment of Roukoz shouldn't be considered as a victory for Hizbullah as even the party's foes, including the United States, consider him qualified to assume such a post.”

Jumblat asked Hariri to reconsider his position.

However, sources close to Hariri told the newspaper that Jumblat's endeavors are useless as “Aoun cannot impose an army commander on us,” prompting FPM sources to stress that “Hariri cannot ensure the endurance.”

Conflicting reports emerged recently on whether Hariri agreed on the appointment of Roukoz as army chief.

The reports had said that Hariri informed Aoun about his consent on the appointment of Roukoz as military chief in return for the appointment of head of the Internal Security Force Information Branch Imad Othman as ISF chief.

Aoun has allegedly been seeking to receive political consensus on the appointment of Roukoz as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers, but Aoun scrapped such reports.

Roukoz's tenure ends in October while the term of army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji expires at the end of September.

The military posts in Lebanon are suffering as the result of the months-long presidential vacuum in light of the parliament's failure to elect a successor for Michel Suleiman whose tenure ended in May last year. The vacuum also threatens Internal Security Forces as chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous is set to retire in June.

H.K.

D.A.

Comments 4
Missing humble 30 May 2015, 08:36

I am not the only one to describe the Caporal as the one destroying the Christians. Yesterday, the deputy Elie Marouny (Kataeb) declared that the Caporal is the one most responsible for destroying the institutions and the Christians to end up with the Mutelateh !!!

Thumb beiruti 30 May 2015, 20:20

Roukoz is qualified. His association with Aoun is a shadow on his chances of assuming the office for which he is qualified.

Thumb -phoenix1 30 May 2015, 21:04

Roukoz is a fine officer indeed, no denying this in any way, but as Beiruti rightly said, his association to Aoun the claoun is a dark shadow on him. Then it is not an easy task to replace such a fine, outstanding officer and gentleman as Qahwaji. By the looks of it, Aoun will die and never see another dream of his come true. Nation and family businesses don't mix ya jadbeh Aoun.

Thumb -phoenix1 30 May 2015, 21:07

I look at this picture and can imagine what Jombie is saying to old man Claoun, "min li byeftol aktar, ana aw enet ya general?". Surely Claoun will reply, "Ro7 wou l3ab ya ibni, enta mab tousal la khasreh".