The army command file has resurfaced in discussions amid leaks about the appointment of Major General Hasan Auda as Chief of Staff and his official promotion to the rank of Major General at the request of the caretaker Minister of Defense, Maurice Slim. This ministerial move is seen as a way to prevent the postponement of the retirement of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, who is approaching the military retirement age for his rank (60 years). It is noteworthy that the commander had his term extended for an additional year last December through a draft law from the Parliament, before being retired on January 10.
A senior Christian political figure warned in a statement to the Kuwaiti "Anbaa" about the encouragement of a vacancy in the position of Army Commander during this sensitive phase the country is going through. He called for solidifying the Christian presence in key state positions following the vacancy in the presidential position, as well as the absence of a successor for the Governor of the Central Bank after the lengthy term of the former governor, Riad Salameh.
The political figure distinguished between the situations of Salameh and Commander Aoun, noting that the former departed under the heavy weight of the issues he caused, while the latter plays a pivotal role during both the presidential vacancy and the war in southern Lebanon.
He expressed concern that the caretaker government might make major appointments in the absence of a president, questioning: what remains of the role of the country's president? It is important to mention that the current government differs from the one that managed the country during the presidential vacancy following President Michel Sleiman's term (between 2014 and 2016), as decisions were signed by all ministers back then, whereas currently they are only issued with the signature of the Prime Minister, according to the Kuwaiti "Anbaa."
