The Cabinet issued a decision approving the request of the Minister of National Defense, Maurice Sleem, to conduct an exam aimed at completing the number of officers for the Military Academy, which totals 200, with all successful candidates to be appointed simultaneously before the end of next October. Following the Cabinet session, the Minister of Education in the caretaker government, Abbas Halabi, announced his objection to the "settlement" that was approved by the Cabinet, stating that it would be more appropriate to lift the reservations on issuing the Chief of Staff decree, which would help maintain order within the military institution.
The caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, chaired the Cabinet session at the Grand Serail, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Al-Shami, and ministers including: Abbas Halabi (Education and Higher Education), Ziad Makari (Information), George Kallas (Youth and Sports), Youssef Khalil (Finance), Najla Riachi (State for Administrative Development), George Bouchikian (Industry), Walid Nassar (Tourism), Bassam Mawlawi (Interior and Municipalities), Firas Al-Abyad (Health), Nasser Yassine (Environment), Johnny Al-Qarm (Telecommunications), Mohammad Wissam Mortada (Culture), Mustafa Bayram (Labor), Ali Hamieh (Public Works and Transport), Abbas Al-Haj Hassan (Agriculture), and Amin Salam (Economy).
Also present were the Director-General of the Presidency, Antoine Chuqair, and the Secretary-General of the Cabinet, Mahmoud Makiyeh. The agenda included a single item concerning the Ministry of Defense's request to recruit officer candidates for the Military Academy.
In this context, MTV reported that the issue of appointments in all public administrations was raised during the Cabinet session, with the Minister of Information objecting to the proposal put forth by the Minister of Youth and Sports, rejecting the principle of appointments in the absence of the President. The Minister of Culture praised his position. It was also noted that "Makari, Riachi, and Al-Shami objected to the exclusion of females in the context of the Military Academy," highlighting that "a meeting will soon be held between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense to discuss the Chief of Staff issue amidst a desire to resolve the matter without undermining Sleem's position." The Minister of Education stated: "The Defense Law is clear regarding the Chief of Staff assuming the powers of the Army Commander in case of a vacancy, and the Minister of Defense should settle the issue of the Chief of Staff after his demands regarding the Military Academy were taken into account."
