After days of controversy sparked by the threat of Central Bank deputies to resign, positions accelerated yesterday, exerting pressure on Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who rushed to disclaim responsibility for the "resignations, appointments, or extensions" trap set by mutual support and solidarity with his partner in governance, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.
This brings to mind a series of retreats by Mikati, led by the daylight saving time adjustment scandal.
At this time, sources told Nidaa al-Watan that the path of this issue is governed by "no extension or appointment to the position of Governor" after the end of Riad Salameh's term at the end of this month.
Mikati said, that assigning Salameh to run the affairs of the Central Bank until his successor is appointed by a decree issued by the Council of Ministers is not included on his agenda.
He stated that he would not cover the extension for Salameh to block those who accuse him of providing political cover on the pretext that he has a personal interest in keeping him at the helm of the Central Bank.
He pointed out that the solution to fill the vacancy in the Governorship of the Central Bank after Salameh's term lies in implementing the law that allows his deputy, Wassim Mansouri, to carry out the assigned tasks.
He said, "If anyone has another solution, they should present it. As for me, I will not nominate any name for Salameh's succession."
When asked what should be done if the Central Bank deputies follow through on their threat to resign from their positions, after they hinted in the statement they issued about their intention to resign in protest against the failure to appoint a successor to Salameh, he replied, "Caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil will ask them to continue managing the public facility, and the same applies to the Central Bank."
Before Mikati's new evasion, the resignation of the Central Bank deputies became a topic of discussion. Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai emphasized in his Sunday sermon that "the Central Bank is in an existential crisis."
Meanwhile, MP Ghassan Hasbani, a Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc member, confirmed that the Lebanese Forces party would not attend a cabinet session to appoint a successor to the Governor of the Central Bank.
Likewise, the position of Hezbollah was expressed by MP Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, who said, "No one can come in this exceptional circumstance and say to the people that he wants to shirk responsibility, especially when you enjoy the power and its privileges."