Free Patriotic Movement Chief Gebran Bassil during his press conference on Tuesday. (Credit: Nabil Ismail)
BEIRUT — Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), voiced strong opposition on Tuesday to the extension of Lebanese Army Chief Joseph Aoun's mandate, ahead of a parliamentary session scheduled for Thursday to discuss the matter, as Aoun's term is set to expire on Jan. 10.
Bassil reiterated his resistance to General Aoun's potential accession to the presidency, considering him a serious contender.
During a press conference, Bassil criticized General Aoun saying, "This character does not deserve the extension. To us, he represents disloyalty and boasts of violating the law." He referred to previous accusations of financial irregularities in military contracts and tenders.
Bassil outlined alternative legal solutions to avoiding a leadership vacuum in the army without extending the current mandate. These included appointing a new army commander for a one-year term, or allowing the highest-ranking officer to assume an interim role.
Addressing the upcoming parliamentary session on Thursday, Bassil criticized the Lebanese Forces (LF) political party led by Samir Geagea. He accused them of backtracking on their previous stance of boycotting legislative sessions during the presidential vacancy, as it contradicts the Constitution, which limits the Parliament's role to that of an electoral college in such periods. The LF had proposed a bill in late October to delay the army chief's retirement by one year.
'Candidate of the West'
Bassil threatened to file a legal challenge with the Constitutional Council if Parliament votes to keep Joseph Aoun at the army's helm. He hinted at another challenge before the State Council if the Cabinet passes a decree to that effect.
He referred to General Aoun as "the candidate of the West rather than a consensus candidate."
Bassil expressed concern that extending Aoun’s mandate might serve two purposes: "To preserve him as a political card for the presidential election, and to damage Bassil and the FPM." He suspected external factors favoring the extension as a means to implement Western policy relating to Syrian refugees, by controlling the northern and eastern borders while restricting sea access.
Bassil accused General Aoun of partially enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. He called for the complete application of the resolution and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.
Bassil reiterated his disapproval of the mandate extension."Not only to preserve the military's integrity but also because the individual concerned is a serviceman, and the army should not be politically influenced," he said.
He concluded by taking pride in the FPM's solitary fight against the retention of Joseph Aoun.
