Chami: Deputy Lebanon Central Bank Governors' Threat to Collectively Resign 'Dangerous'

A view of Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Deputy premier Saade Chami said on Friday deputy governors of Lebanon's central bank should run it if no governor is appointed by the end of the month, calling their threat to collectively resign "dangerous".
Longtime governor Riad Salameh's term expires at the end of July and one of the deputy governors told Reuters on Thursday they were considering quitting together if no successor is named, raising the possibility of the central bank being left leaderless amid a deep financial crisis.
Lebanon's breakdown in governance and political tensions have hamstrung efforts to find a successor to Salameh, whose 30-year tenure has been stained by charges at home and abroad of embezzlement of public funds in Lebanon. He denies the charges.
In a statement to Reuters, Chami said the deputy governors should "assume their responsibility in case this appointment is not possible...The threat of resignation implied by the statement is quite dangerous at this critical juncture."
The central bank leadership is appointed according to the sectarian power-sharing system that governs other top posts.
The governor must be a Maronite Catholic, while the four deputies - a Shiite Muslim, a Sunni Muslim, a Druze and an Armenian Catholic - must have the approval of the political chiefs representing their respective sects.
Some analysts wondered whether the resignation threat would push the political elite, which worked closely with Salameh for decades, to consider prolonging his tenure. Salameh has said he will leave when his term ends.