Lebanese President Michel Aoun talks with Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the presidential palace in Baabda, Dec. 22, 2021. (Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati both commented Wednesday on the stalemate in the government, which has not met since Oct. 12. Aoun denounced a “deliberate act” on the part of some ministers, while Mikati said he feared that convening his cabinet would cause a “fracture in the country,” which is already undermined by multifaceted crises.
These comments on the government crisis were made during a meeting of the Higher Defense Council, at which Aoun warned that he was “not obliged” to sign exceptional decrees in lieu of Cabinet decisions — an implicit swipe at the prime minister, who said he was working to “reconcile the points of view” of his cabinet members.
Formed Sept. 10, the Mikati cabinet has not met for over two months because of differences surrounding the investigation into the Beirut port explosion led by Judge Tarek Bitar, whose “politicization” the Amal-Hezbollah bloc criticizes. While the Amal movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, calls for political leaders questioned in the investigation to be tried before the Supreme Council, Hezbollah calls for the judge’s removal.
‘Deliberate act’
“The boycott of government meetings is a deliberate act by some cabinet members and it is unacceptable,” Aoun said at the beginning of the meeting of the Defense Council in Baabda, calling on “each minister to be aware of the danger of such a position.” He also noted that “if there is opposition regarding a particular issue, it is always possible to settle it through institutions,” a clear reference to the tensions caused by the investigation of the port blast.
“What is happening is a deliberate act,” insisted Aoun, who pointed out that “the government must meet and assume its responsibilities.” The president also said that he “is not obliged to sign decrees” exceptionally, since such procedures cannot replace the work of government, “which has all the qualifications required by the constitution.”
‘Fracture of the country’
For his part, the prime minister once again expressed his fear that “convening the government may lead the country to a fracture.” “I, like the president, want cabinet to meet because the blockage hurts everyone,” he lamented, hoping that he would be able to “soon convene his ministerial team to a meeting to deal with urgent matters.”
“The leaders in this country are meant to work to bring positions and points of view closer together and not to deepen the gap,” he stressed. “This is our role and we are working on it.”
Meeting at Baabda Palace, the Higher Defense Council recommended Lebanon’s state of general mobilization be extended until March 31, 2022, noting that the country’s coronavirus infections are rising again at a worrying rate. Aoun also called on military and security institutions to remain mobilized to ensure stability and security during the holiday season and announced a series of decisions on several security issues — including trafficking at legal and illegal border crossings as well as the production and trafficking of drugs and online platforms advertising the dollar exchange rate. He did not detail the provisions adopted.
Meetings of the Higher Defense Council usually include the president, the prime minister, the ministers concerned with the issues under discussion as well as the heads of the various military and security institutions. Shortly before the meeting, the president met briefly with the council chairman.