Moqbel Appoints Chief of Staff in Decree Signed by 20 Ministers

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel on Friday issued a decree tasking Maj. Gen. Hatem Mallak to act as caretaker chief of staff of the army after he was promoted from the rank of brigadier general, state-run National News Agency reported.

Mallak replaces Maj. Gen. Walid Salman, who will reach the age of retirement at midnight.

Moqbel also issued a decree appointing Brig. Gen. Hussein Abdullah as head of the Military Court to replace Brig. Gen. Khalil Ibrahim, who will reach the age of retirement on October 10, NNA said.

MTV said the decree was signed by 20 ministers, including the ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement and the Tashnag Party.

The decree was not signed by the ministers Akram Shehayyeb and Ramzi Jreij, due to their presence outside the country, or by resigned ministers Ashraf Rifi and Alain Hakim, the TV network noted.

In the absence of a president, any cabinet decree requires the signatures of all ministers.

A decision by Moqbel to extend the term of Army chief General Jean Qahwaji had infuriated the FPM on Thursday.

“It is a flagrant violation of all laws that can be added to the series of violations that the government has committed or overlooked in the domain of national defense and many other domains,” the FPM said in a statement.

It also warned that it “will not remain silent over the insistence on violating the laws,” pledging that it will “do everything necessary to put and end to the continued destruction of the State.”

The FPM, which says it opposes term extensions for all senior officers, has recently suspended its participation in cabinet sessions in the wake of a decision by Moqbel to extend the term of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir.

The movement has also suspended its participation in national dialogue meetings and threatened street protests and a “political system crisis” over accusations that the other parties in the country are not respecting the 1943 National Pact that stipulates Christian-Muslim partnership.

Qahwaji's term had already been extended twice since 2013 despite objections from the FPM, which had reportedly been lobbying for the appointment of former Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as a successor to Qahwaji.

Roukoz is the son-in-law of FPM founder MP Michel Aoun.