On the first day of General Michel Aoun's election as President of the Republic, a photograph was taken of him surrounded by all members of his family. Some of the people in the photo have not visited the palace for a long time. Others only visit the president's wing. Some have distanced themselves, both family members and close associates, while others have been pushed away. The latest one to be excluded is a significant surprise. No one expected the relationship between President Aoun and his chief advisor, former Minister Salim Griceati, to become strained. Griceati had been the president's right-hand man, who he often relied on during his presidency to resolve crises and find legal solutions, or even to invent them at times. Griceati was at times the invisible man and yet was present at most meetings, even being the only Catholic sitting at a dialogue table with sectarian leaders.
This occurred for two reasons: the efficient seasoned lawyer and President Aoun's trust in a man who had provided him with significant political and personal services, rewarding him by granting him the Ministry of Justice, making him among the best informed regarding the back channels of the judiciary, judges, their political and personal leanings, and whom is influenced by whom.
However, all this happened without the enthusiasm of the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gibran Bassil, who has never had a good relationship with Griceati, expressing this in some private gatherings and being annoyed by the reputation and behavior of one of Griceati's close associates. It is known that Bassil reluctantly accepted Griceati as a minister. The first time was due to the president's insistence to return a favor, and the second time as a presidential tool against then-Lebanese Forces-appointed Minister Kamil Abu Suleiman, to legally and constitutionally confront him at the cabinet table.
Less than three months before the end of the term, it seems that Bassil has succeeded in distancing another figure from President Aoun's circle: Salim Griceati, who has gradually had his advisory and executive role marginalized, culminating in being barred from attending a meeting where his presence had previously been natural. He was prohibited from entering the president's office, understood the message, and has been absent from Baabda Palace for days.
Perhaps Griceati's relationship with President Aoun has ended here, or it could just be a passing cloud. However, it is more likely not to be the former, especially since the chief advisor disagrees with many of the presidential decisions and steps backed by Bassil. This is a struggle within the president's circle at the end of the term before Aoun relocates back to Rabieh. There, Griceati will definitely not be present in meetings to record, participate, and offer his advisory input. Gibran Bassil will not allow him to play that role.
In chess, it is "checkmate," and in Baabda, it is "check to the advisor"... and he is not the first close associate, nor will he be the last.
