FPM to Force 'Caretaker Cabinet' if Qahwaji's Term Extended

The Free Patriotic Movement intends to turn Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet into a “caretaker cabinet” should the term of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji be extended by another year, a media report said on Sunday.

Salam's cabinet had assumed presidential powers after the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 without the election of a successor.

“Amid the circulated reports about the inclination of Defense Minister Samir Moqbel to extend the army chief's tenure, FPM officials have informed the premier that the movement intends to force the cabinet to act in caretaker capacity should Qahwaji's term be prolonged,” An Nahar newspaper reported.

The sources revealed that the FPM leadership is accusing Moqbel of resorting to “double standards” seeing as “a new chief of staff will be appointed while the army chief's term will be extended.”

Sources informed on the issue meanwhile told An Nahar that “the appointment of a new chief of staff is compulsory, since a new term extension is not possible, while the issue of the army commander is different and has political aspects related to political and security stability and the role that the army chief is playing in immunizing and protecting this stability.”

Moqbel had announced Saturday that it would be possible to extend Qahwaji's tenure by another year while ruling out a similar extension for the chief of staff.

The term of the chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Walid Salman, ends in August while that of Qahwaji expires in September.

Qahwaji's retirement had been postponed in September 2013 and his term was instead extended for two years.