The message of the deputies of the Governor of Banque du Liban calling for the appointment of a new governor after the departure of Riad Salameh at the end of the month, with a veiled threat to resign, did not have the desired impact on public opinion.
This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.
Instead, it had a negative effect on them and the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, and Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Broad segments of political and economic observers accused the signatories of the message of being "puppets" in the hands of those who appointed them.
They also criticized Berri and Mikati for attempting to impose their will, even if it meant appointing a governor for the Central Bank without a president in office, as if they were running the state alone, disregarding laws and norms.
In the case of Banque du Liban, the Monetary and Credit Law states clearly that the First Deputy assumes responsibility after the end of Salameh's term.
Berri's argument that he does not want the Shiite community to bear the burden of the disaster in the Central Bank, banks, and the currency market was met with skepticism.
Similarly, Mikati's argument that he has the authority to make the appointment without a president was seen as a response to the rejecting and opposing parties.
Sources told Nidaa al-Watan that there is pressure from the United States to appoint a governor before the end of the month because the Central Bank of Lebanon cannot tolerate a vacuum and cannot afford to have a Shiite figure (Wassim Mansouri) at its helm.
It is no longer a secret that Camille Abousleiman enjoys internal and external acceptance, especially from the United States. Other names circulating, such as Henri Chaoul, Jihad Azour, and Samir Assaf, are divided between those who want an appointment based on merits, those who are undecided, and those who reject them.
Returning to the message of the governor's deputies, their step received harsh criticism from financial and economic experts who have witnessed the collapse, the unjust practices towards depositors, the currency depreciation, and the billions wasted on subsidies and favoritism towards banks that disregard the rights of their clients.
They have also witnessed international investigations targeting Salameh, including international arrest warrants issued against him, without any reaction from them or any threat of resignation as they did on Thursday.
Criticism has been directed at them and those who pressured or influenced them to write what they wrote (Berri and Mikati), accusing them of evading responsibility. They emphasized that, in the eyes of those skeptical of their step, they are not qualified to hold the positions they currently occupy.
They might even prefer extending Salameh's term so he remains in the circle of monetary affairs while being angered by the current banking and monetary situation state. They can continue enjoying their privileges, titles, and exorbitant salaries in US dollars.
As of Thursday evening, the mechanism of the appointment planned by Berri and Mikati was not precise, and how they would obtain the approval of Hezbollah, which has already announced its opposition to meetings of the first-rank officials in the absence of a president and a limited caretaker government.
In the opposing Christian camp, the initial position remains in favor of electing a president first and not allowing Berri and Mikati to manage the country in their own "trivial" way with their primary partners while reminding them that the repercussions might not be to their liking, as happened when they decided not to implement daylight saving time.
It should be noted that informed sources, according to Nidaa al-Watan, do not rule out the possibility that Berri and Mikati might confront their political opponents with the option of extending Salameh's term.
If not, they would impose the resignation of the governor's deputies, causing a vacuum at the Central Bank of Lebanon at the level of the Central Council as a whole, with the possibility of witnessing significant jumps in the value of the US dollar.