Report: Disagreements over Naming BDL Vice Governors

The Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss 26 items on its agenda, but an important item was “ignored inclusion” and related to the appointment of vice governors of the Central Bank of Lebanon (Banque du Liban, BDL), al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Ministerial sources told the daily: “The Cabinet agenda has ignored inclusion of an item related to appointing the vice-governors of BDL because of conflicting opinions between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Tashnag Party over naming the Armenian member.”

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added: “The FPM wants to replace Haroutioun Samuelian (whose term and that of the four other Vice-Governors ended Sunday) while Tashnaq wants to renew his term for another five years.”

The sources added: "It was believed that the matter was set when Druze leader and Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri agreed to appoint banker Fadi Fleihan instead of Saad Andary for the Druze seat, but it seemed that was not enough.”

Vice-Governors are appointed by decree sanctioned by the Cabinet for a renewable five-year term.

The current Vice-Governors, whose term ended at the end of March are: Raed H. Charafeddine (Shiite), Saad Andary (Druze), Muhammad Baasiri (Sunni)and Haroutioun Samuelian (Armenian).

By law, the candidates for the vice governors’ posts are chosen along confessional lines.