Qahwaji's Term May be Extended before September 24
A decree extending Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji's term might be issued in the next few days, in coordination with the ministers of AMAL Movement and Hizbullah, a media report said on Sunday.
“The Free Patriotic Movement's threat to resort to street protests and its continued bocyott of cabinet sessions are expediting the decision to extend Qahwaji's term,” Lebanese ministerial sources told the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper.
The extension decree might be issued before Prime Minister Tammam Salam's return from New York on September 24, the sources added.
“There is a difficulty to hold a cabinet session before the end of the month, the date of General Qahwaji's term expiry, which will necessitate taking the extension decision to avoid any vacuum in the military institution,” said the sources.
The sources also stressed that there is an agreement over the step between Salam and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel in addition to “the majority of ministerial components, including the ministers and Hizbullah and AMAL Movement.”
The FPM has recently announced its boycott of cabinet and national dialogue meetings over accusations that the other parties in the country and not respecting the 1943 National Pact, which stipulates Christian-Muslim partnership.
The movement's boycott of cabinet was initially linked to the thorny issue of military and security appointments. The movement has long voiced reservations over the government's decision-taking mechanism in the absence of a president.
The defense minister had recently postponed the retirement of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir after no consensus was reached over three candidates that he had proposed, angering the FPM which says that it opposes term extensions for all senior officers.
Qahwaji's tenure has been extended twice since 2013 despite the objections of the FPM, which says it rejects term extensions for any senior military or security official.
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