The head of the "Strong Republic" bloc, MP George Adwan, after meeting with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, indicated that "today's visit of the Speaker of Parliament was to request a session to extend the rank of General in the army, due to the need to prevent a vacancy in the position. Here, we must remind ourselves of the reasons that led us in the bloc to present the draft law, which are three matters: the circumstances the region and Lebanon are going through and the tragedies, alongside the illegal Syrian presence, which imposes repercussions on the demographic, economic, and security situations, as well as, of course, the financial and monetary conditions."
Adwan continued: "Everyone knows that in the absence of a president, it is impossible to appoint a new army commander, since appointing a new commander requires the participation of the President of the Republic." He pointed out that "everyone knows that leading the army is not a technical matter that can be resolved immediately; appointing a new commander involves months of work for the new commander to organize the brigades and units and distribute their deployment. General Joseph Aoun has proven, over the past years, his professionalism and expertise in leading the army, enforcing the laws, and maintaining civil peace. It is our duty as MPs to take this important step, which reassures all Lebanese during these difficult circumstances regarding the future of their children, homeland, and identity."
He added: "Consequently, we are faced with an extraordinary circumstance that requires extraordinary action. Therefore, we took this matter into consideration for the supreme national interest. At a time when the supreme national interest is required, individuals cannot follow regular procedures and how legislation is usually handled as if it’s within the normal constitutional framework. This matter is, without a doubt, exceptional; time is of the essence, and we cannot leave matters until the last moment. These are the compelling reasons for which we were clear with the Speaker of Parliament."
As a result of the meeting, we concluded the following: "We received a promise from the Speaker of Parliament that he will wait until the end of the month only, because he prefers the extension to occur in the Cabinet. After the end of the month, he will call for a session, and the proposal we presented will be the first item among urgent projects. As a bloc, we will study how to handle this session and evaluate the entire matter."
Adwan continued: "President Berri hopes the extension will happen in the government within the next two weeks; we also want to say to the government and call on President Mikati to expedite this matter and hold a session quickly in the upcoming days to extend the rank of General and maintain the army's leadership." He stated: "Thus, through the path we followed as a bloc, we have taken the correct course of action. Consequently, we should have two weeks before the government to finalize this matter, and if not, there will be a session at the beginning of next month, and we will address it in a manner that serves the supreme national interest."
Additionally, President Berri received Belgian Ambassador Koen Verfaillie, where a discussion took place regarding overall conditions and developments in Lebanon and the region, in light of "the escalation of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the southern border villages and towns of Lebanon with occupied Palestine." President Berri also followed up on general developments, particularly the security and field updates during his meeting with the Director of Intelligence in the Lebanese Army, Brigadier General Tony Kahwaji.
