Dispute over Aoun’s Term Extension Opens Door to Search for an Acting Commander of Lebanese Army

Archive photo of Speaker Nabih Berri receiving Army Commander General Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Parliament website)

The extension of the term of Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, who is due to retire in January, has sparked divisions in the political scene and raised talks about appointing an acting army commander, whose term will end with the election of a new president for the country.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was backing the extension of Aoun’s term “without hesitation”, reiterating that this file falls within the government’s duties.
“The government’s duty is to resolve the issue, whether by appointing an army commander or postponing the dismissal of the current chief. But if [the government] fails, Parliament will carry out its duties to prevent a vacuum in this sensitive position,” Berri said.
“I will not delay [this file] for a single minute, and they [the government] must hurry to assume their obligations”, he added.
For his part, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, said in a press conference that the extension of the army commander’s term was an “unnatural and abnormal situation and an insult to every qualified and deserving officer.”
Bassil continued: “The person in question [the army commander] betrayed the trust, and has become a symbol of lack of loyalty. He violates the National Defense Law, infringes on the minister’s powers, and brags about breaching the law.”
In a normal situation, the Council of Ministers is supposed to have selected a new commander of the army from among the officers of the military institution. But this mechanism is hindered by the failure to elect a new president, who is usually the one who chooses the new commander of the army, and his desire is translated by the government.
However, if the government is unable for any reason to appoint a new Army chief, the established mechanism is to delegate the powers of the Army Commander to the Chief of Staff; but this position is also vacant with the retirement of Major General Amin Al-Aram.
According to current data, the Army Commander’s term is supposed to be extended through a decision in the Council of Ministers. Nonetheless, the decision can be challenged before the Constitutional Council because it will not bear the signature of Defense Minister Maurice Slim, who is affiliated with Bassil.
Another scenario can see the parliament extending Aoun’s retirement age by one year, according to a loose formula, bearing in mind that the political forces are capable of disrupting the meetings of the Constitutional Council by the loss of a quorum, as happened on most previous occasions.
In this context, the Lebanese political scene awaits two important dates: the first is Thursday, with a scheduled session of Parliament, in which the extension of Aoun’s term will be placed in Clause No. 17. However, the Christian forces’ boycott of Parliament sessions may reduce the chances of any breakthrough.
The second date is Jan. 10, when the Army Commander is set to leave office, if his term is not extended.
A well-informed Lebanese source confirmed that things were actually heading towards Aoun returning home on that date, given all the confusion that surrounds the extension of his tenure. This scenario can push towards other options, including the appointment of an acting army commander from among the senior Maronite officers in the military establishment, as stated by the informed source.