The Army Command - Directorate of Guidance issued the following statement: The Army Command wishes to clarify the following data regarding the results of the entrance examination to the Military Academy: On 17/8/2023, the Council of Ministers approved the Army Command's request to enroll and appoint officer cadets in military and security agencies, following a four-year halt in recruitment which the military institution had replaced by enlisting active-duty military candidates for two consecutive courses.
On 6/9/2023, the Army Command sent a request to the Ministry of Defense to accept the dissemination of a declaration regarding the recruitment of officer cadets for the army and security forces from among military personnel (male and female) and civilians (male). On 12/9/2023, the Army Command received a letter from the Ministry of Defense, signed by the Minister of National Defense, announcing its approval of the declaration published on the army's official website on 14/9/2023.
On 2/11/2023, the Army Command submitted a letter to the Ministry of Defense, after obtaining approval from the military council, including a list of accepted candidates for participation in the entrance examination to the Military Academy based on the candidate classification tables.
According to decision number 392 dated 19/12/2023, the military council approved the proposal by the Army Command to accept those who succeeded in the entrance examination to the Military Academy as officer cadets, totaling 118 candidates. By letter number 2961 dated 2/2/2024, the Army Command sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense that included a list of appointments for those who succeeded in the entrance examination as officer cadets, based on the proposal of the Army Command and after military council approval, in accordance with Article 27 of the National Defense Law No. 102/83.
In terms of factual occurrences and dates, regarding those who submitted candidacies and underwent examinations, the Army Command provides the following facts: - The number of accepted candidates reached 2511, within the specified conditions, including the requirement for candidates to achieve an average of 12/20 in official examinations. All of them underwent psychological, medical, and physical tests starting from 2/10/2023. Out of these, 773 qualified for the written test and appeared before the committee, and after sorting the results and classification, 118 of them deservedly and competently became officer cadets.
- The required number approved by the government was 173; however, the number who succeeded in the classification without any disqualifying marks was only 118, maintaining sectarian balance (59 from the first category and 59 from the second category), and the military council approved the result.
- There is no doubt that the Army Command considered the delay in approval for recruitment, in addition to the general circumstances in the country and the suffering of the Lebanese, including students, especially during the spread of the Corona pandemic. This applied only to psychological and physical tests; other tests, including the written ones, ranged from average to difficult, according to the level of official examinations. The success of those who excelled in the examination and classification was achieved through merit and competence. The command did not resort to lowering the average to complete the number, and it is not possible to open the door for an additional cycle as this would require a new decision from the Council of Ministers and additional time, and the result would also be similar in terms of number and outcome.
- Upon announcing the acceptance of candidacies, a number of students submitted requests for clemency (due to age) that were raised to the Ministry of Defense, but no decision has been made regarding them.
- The fate of the 118 students who succeeded in the classification remains uncertain, as they need the signature of the Minister of National Defense to allow them to join the Military Academy, knowing that some of them are enrolled in private universities and are unable to make decisions regarding their future. This delay in joining leads to the closure of the Military Academy and has negative implications for the structure and hierarchy of the institution.
Based on the aforementioned, the Army Command confirms that there is no room to doubt the results of the Military Academy and that the examining committee, composed of competent officers, adopted the highest standards of transparency, objectivity, and justice, preserving the rights of the students who excelled in the examination with competence and merit. The command calls for maintaining the privacy of the military institution and not turning its affairs into publicly contentious material under any pretext or goal, as the challenges, risks, and current circumstances necessitate support for the military institution and the preservation of its morale and the morale of its personnel, who still believe in the sanctity of their mission and remain steadfast in their positions despite all the campaigns against them.
The Military Academy, being the stronghold of men, accepts only the competent and graduates only the heroic leader officers.
