BEIRUT: The Free Patriotic Movement's parliamentary bloc Tuesday called on Prime Minister Tammam Salam to reactivate Cabinet, but stood firm on its demands that security appointments are discussed before other issues.
“We are the ones who are calling for a Cabinet meeting to fix the instability in the country,” ex-minister and FPM official Salim Jreissati said after the Change and Reform Bloc’s weekly meeting.
The Cabinet's last session was cancelled by Salam in light of the ongoing disagreement over the appointments of the country's top security posts. It came after FPM announced two weeks ago that its ministers would prevent the Cabinet from passing any decisions before appointing new security chiefs.
Jreissati urged Salam to convene a meeting to limit the “abuse” of Cabinet and violations against the 1990 Taif agreement.
“We call on Salam to execute his power as head of the executive authority and stop the ministers who are trying to bypass him and [strip him of] his authority,” he said.
He added that his bloc was keen on the Army and its leadership, and eager to fortify it as a unifying institution.
FPM leader Michel Aoun supports his son-in-law, commander of the Army’s Commando Regiment Brig. Gen. Shamel Roukoz, to succeed Army chief Gen. Jean Kahwagi.
Kahwagi’s term, which was already renewed once, is set to expire in September.
