Controversy emerges over caretaker government's plans for military appointments

Away from the political context, the recent remarks of the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, concerning military appointments have surfaced.

During the latest session of the Cabinet on Tuesday, while discussing military and security promotions and promising their approval in the upcoming session, after being signed by the Defense and Interior Ministers, Mikati revealed that he had written to the Defense and Interior Ministers, requesting two proposals to complete the appointments in the Military Council and the Internal Security Forces Council.

"According to the Defense Law, any vacuum in the military leadership transfers authority to the Chief of Staff, and in the absence of the Chief of Staff, we cannot speculate on what might happen," he said.

Is Mikati paving the way for a series of military and security appointments, even though his government is a caretaker government with no authority to make appointments? Is there a political agreement with the government's partners to pass these appointments under the pretext of avoiding a leadership vacuum in the army, knowing that the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, will retire on January 10, 2024? What will be Hezbollah's stance, whose Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, repeatedly asserted that a caretaker government has no authority to make appointments?

Concerned government sources confirmed to LBCI that the issue of military and security appointments circulated in the media is not currently on the table and will not be discussed in the upcoming session next week. The only issue that will be addressed is promotions.

In response to why Mikati requested proposals for military and security appointments from the Defense and the Interior Minister, the concerned government sources said, "this matter falls within the framework of precautionary steps, especially since all possibilities are open."

Therefore, it can be said that the caretaker government is preparing for military and security appointments, albeit without implementation.

If the presidential vacuum remains and the deadline for the vacuum in the army leadership approaches, followed by the vacancy in the leadership of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) after the retirement of General Imad Osman on May 14, 2024, then every incident will have its own story.