Report: ‘Disruption’ Casts Shadow over Government

Some have sounded the alarm over the consequences of a “dispute” between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri against the former’s insistence to refer the killing of two bodyguards of a minister to the Judicial Council, and Hariri’s insistence for adopting a political solution and resorting to the judiciary, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Monday.

Ministerial sources said the "dispute" can reflect on the government and hamper its meetings under critical circumstances in the country that call for expediting its response to the road map approved at Paris CEDRE conference in order to overcome the economic and social crises.

“The situation can not tolerate implicating the country, under the pretext of referring the Qabrshmoun incident to the Judicial Council, in a political clash leading to the disruption of its government meetings,” the sources told the daily.

“The current week must be decisive regarding the fate of setting a Cabinet session after Hariri returns from a short trip abroad. The government must convene to discuss the suggested amendments of its 2019 state budget in preparation for referring it to the parliament for approval,” they added.

They said the (Qabrshmoun) case must follow certain steps before it is referred to the Judicial Council, “judicial investigation must first be run to find out if the incident was really an ambush for the State Minister of Refugees Saleh al-Gharib, or others,” they said.

“Referring the incident to the Judicial Council without proper judicial investigation means there is someone who wants to implicate the Progressive Socialist Party in a “tailored-charge”,” added the sources.

“The matter must be left to the judiciary which determines through data and evidence whether the incident comes in the context of ambush, or threatens the civil peace and damages to state security. From the beginning, Jumblat (PSP leader) has responded to mediation carried out by General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim regarding handing the suspects involved in this incident,” they added.

In June, Bassil visited the Aley town of Qabrshmoun in Mount Lebanon. Progressive Socialist Party supporters (of Druze leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat) closed roads to prevent Bassil from touring the region. An armed clash erupted between the convoy of minister of refugee affairs (an ally of Bassil) and the people who were closing the road to prevent Bassil from passing. Two guards were killed and one person was critically injured.