The government faces two options

The tense situation in the south and its repercussions on the local scene have reflected a sense of urgency in the domestic political landscape to expedite the process of filling vacancies in the military institution.

This article was originally published in, translated from online newspaper Al Anbaa.

This comes as Army Commander General Joseph Aoun is approaching the retirement age on January 10, and the country is entering the holiday season starting mid-December.

In the past few hours, there have been contacts involving key headquarters in Ain El-Tineh, the Grand Serail, Baabda Palace, Dar al-Fatwa, and the Parliament, and the purpose was to advocate for the protection of the military institution by preventing a vacuum in the leadership of the army.

So far, two obstacles have hindered this: first, the Free Patriotic Movement's rejection of the idea of extension, insisting on an appointment exclusively, and second, demands from some MPs and Sunni figures to consider the position of the Director-General of the Internal Security Forces in such a settlement.