Members of the "National Moderation" bloc, which includes deputies: Ahmad Khair, Walid Al-Baarini, Saji' Atiah, Mohammed Suleiman, Abdul Aziz Al-Samad, and Ahmad Rustum, held a press conference this morning at the parliamentary council, during which they presented a proposal for a law aimed at extending the term of security chiefs for one year. Deputy Ahmad Khair read the text of the proposal, which states: "Single Article: Exceptionally and contrary to any other provisions, the retirement age of military security chiefs who are performing their duties in their capacity or by delegation or by proxy and holding the rank of Major General or Brigadier General, and are still in their positions on the date of the issuance of this law, shall be extended for one year from the date of their retirement. This law shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette.
The reasons supporting the proposed expedited law are the current presidential vacancy and the desire to avoid any appointments in the absence of a President of the Republic, especially in military and security positions, alongside fears of the vacancy extending to military and security institutions, given the approaching retirement of the Army Commander and the Director General of the Internal Security Forces due to the current political tensions, as well as the legal interpretations concerning who undertakes the original tasks by delegation or proxy.
Given that national interest and the precision of the current phase necessitate prioritizing the strengthening of security immunity by ensuring stability in the leadership of military and security institutions, preserving their prestige, and avoiding the dangers of vacancy, tensions, and legal interpretations until a new President of the Republic is elected. Moreover, previous national experiences have proven that the correct solution to any crisis is a comprehensive approach, rather than makeshift solutions or exits that rely on exceptions and undermine the principle of equality among all institutions, especially military and security institutions. Therefore, we present this proposal for the expedited law aimed at extending the retirement age of military and security chiefs who are still in service on the date of this law's issuance, for one year from the date of their retirement. We hope that the esteemed parliamentary council will discuss and approve it in the next general session."
