As the presidential vacuum appears to be prolonged, the Army Command is entering potential steps towards the anticipated void on January 10, which also affects the Chief of Staff position, leading to significant vacancies in essential roles. This situation raises concerns amid internal disputes and divisions regarding the appointment of a Chief of Staff, the only individual allowed by law to assume the Army Commander's role during his absence.
In this context, there has been a recent push for a three-year extension for Army Commander General Joseph Aoun by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. However, the method to be adopted has not yet been publicly revealed, as it requires consensus that typically involves mediation and negotiations among all political forces; otherwise, it risks stagnation like many other unresolved issues, according to "Ad-Diyar". However, nobody can afford the luxury of time, especially within the only military institution that continues to deliver its duties amidst various pressures and attacks from some quarters regarding the presidential position, where the Army Commander is being proposed as a prominent and acceptable candidate both domestically and internationally.
Additionally, the extension for General Aoun will not impact his presidential prospects as a centrist candidate, as consensus on his candidacy is essential first. Only then could adjustments be made to create the necessary outcome, and anyone who believes that General Aoun's departure from Yarzeh would eliminate his chances of entering the presidential palace is mistaken, according to political sources following developments in Lebanon. These sources recall that in March 2017, the Cabinet appointed Brigadier General Joseph Aoun as Army Commander after promoting him to the rank of General during a series of security appointments, marking the first time after the election of that period's President Michel Aoun and the formation of a government that included the major political forces. His appointment came after extending the term of his predecessor General Jean Qahwaji twice due to failure to reach an agreement among political parties on an alternative candidate, a result of major divisions in Lebanon, which ultimately led to a settlement that resulted in Michel Aoun's election as president in late October 2016.
The situation regarding the extension for General Joseph Aoun today is different due to significant political fragmentation, leading to multiple opposing parties, particularly Defense Minister Maurice Slim, who represents the viewpoint of the "Free Patriotic Movement" and its leader, caretaker minister Gebran Bassil. Moreover, the prevailing political disagreement between Slim and Mikati indicates that what occurred with former General Security Director Abbas Ibrahim and former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh regarding their acting roles cannot be applied to the Army Commander due to the absence of a Chief of Staff. The majority of parties reject appointing someone else to assume the Chief of Army Command after his retirement or for health reasons, according to the Ministry of Defense's law.
On the defense minister's side, he prefers appointing Major General Pierre Saad, based on hierarchy, but this meets with opposition from Mikati and other parties. Additionally, the "Progressive Socialist Party" and former Minister Walid Jumblatt are insisting on appointing a replacement for former Chief of Staff Amin Al-Aram to keep the position within the Druze sect, leading to an upcoming public crisis that will escalate if relevant parties do not address the challenges and dangers of the military institution's vacancy.
Concurrently, to restore relations between the Defense Minister and the Army Commander regarding required agreements, including Slim’s signature on requests sent to him by the Army Command, as the dispute remains unresolved among close associates, mediation efforts have begun following Mikati's attempts to bring the two sides together, alongside a senior security official's similar initiative, without reaching a positive conclusion to date.
