The Minister of Information in the caretaker government, Dr. Manal Abdul Samad Najd, affirmed that appointing any person to a non-existent position is invalid due to its illegality.
The National News Agency reported that the Minister responded via a tweet to former minister Richard Qyumgian regarding the appointment issue. Abdul Samad Najd wrote, "Mr. Minister Qyumgian, I hope no one misleads you just because I relied on the criteria of objectivity, competence, and transparency in the appointments, noting that the structure of Tele Liban defines positions exclusively within the television."
The Minister of Information emphasized that the position of Deputy Administrative Director is not specified in the organizational structure of Tele Liban and is, therefore, an illegal position, according to the opinion of the Legislative and Consultative Authority at the Ministry of Justice.
Dr. Manal Abdul Samad Najd also clarified that appointing anyone to a non-existent position is void due to its illegality. Earlier today, in an interview with Al-Jadeed channel, the Minister stated that everyone should perform their duties. She said, "As the Minister of Information, I worked to mediate between the media and the government, and my primary role was organizational, resolving issues faced by media institutions and conveying their outcry and pain to the government to find solutions, rather than being regulatory, as the goal is not to close these institutions, which are the fourth authority, but to revive and develop them to be able to cover events and portray the image."
She added that it is a national responsibility to continue her duties within the limited framework of caretaker work, ensuring that affairs are not left unmonitored and with administrative oversight, in addition to helping society as much as possible in raising awareness and shedding light on crises and trying to find solutions for issues like COVID-19, the vaccine, and the right to access information. The Ministry also organizes training courses in cooperation with UN organizations to help media professionals develop their work within their profession and to find ways to assist media institutions with leading companies and international organizations.
