Miqati, Berri Played Key Role in Easing Dispute between Suleiman, Aoun over Judicial Appointments

The cabinet's approval cabinet of a long-awaited batch of administrative appointments was made possible after a settlement was reached between President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, reported As Safir newspaper on Thursday.

Widely informed sources told the daily that Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Speaker Nabih Berri played a key role in resolving the dispute and reaching the settlement between the two disputed officials.

“The appointments respected the 'no victor, no vanquished' formula,” they added.

“They succeeded in bringing together two opposites in that they appeased the FPM, which considers the appointments an accomplishment, and relieved the president, whose approval helped ensure that the issue was tackled at cabinet,” stated the sources.

Miqati told As Safir that the appointments bring together “competency and political consensus,” noting that they appease all sides, most importantly the judicial institution.

“We can say that the public administration and judiciary are the winners from the appointments that were made,” he stressed.

“Other appointments will be made and we will tackle those linked to the diplomatic fields, the petroleum authority, and Lebanese University,” said the premier.

“Contrary to what some sides have been claiming, experience has demonstrated that that this government is productive,” Miqati stressed.

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi meanwhile told As Safir that the approval of the appointments was “important and necessary”.

“We hope they will reflect positively on the judicial body,” he said.

He voiced his rejection of involving politics in the judicial field, stressing that the new officials are marked by judicial traits, not their political ones.

The minister told al-Joumhouria Thursday: “This issue should have been resolved a year ago.”

He revealed that efforts were exerted to keep the name of the candidates away from the media spotlight in order to “maintain the dignity of the judiciary for the sake of Lebanon.”

“We wanted to limit judicial affairs to the justice palaces and cabinet,” stressed Qortbawi.

The cabinet on Wednesday named Judge Jean Daoud Fahd as head of the Higher Judicial Council, Judge Hatem Madi as state prosecutor and Judge Marwan Abboud as head of the High Disciplinary Committee.

It also appointed Evette Antoun as HDC member, Ali Serhal as government commissioner to the Audit Bureau, Fawzi Khamis as general prosecutor for the Audit Bureau, Ali al-Ahmar as Inspector-General of Education, and Faten Jomaa as inspector-general in the Central Inspection Board.

The cabinet also named a board of directors for the Rashid Karami International Fair with Hussameddine Mohammed Qbaiter as its chairman.

The appointments of Fahd and Madi come after the retirement of Judges Ghaleb Ghanem and Saeed Mirza.