Cabinet Holds Two Sessions Next Week without Addressing Appointments File
Cabinet is scheduled to convene on Monday and Wednesday in order to address a number of draft laws, but not the contentious appointments file, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.
Monday's session, headed by Prime Minister Najib Miqati and held at the Grand Serail, will study efforts to activate administrative work.
The seven-article agenda includes draft laws on the Judicial Inspection Board, organizing the Audit Bureau, setting up information units at ministries and public administrations, among other issue.
Wednesday's session, headed by President Michel Suleiman and held at the Baabda Palace, will address 72 articles focusing mainly on financial affairs.
Ministerial sources told As Safir that a cabinet session, held on October 15, will be dedicated to the appointments file.
They did not rule out the possibility of discussing appointments at the petroleum authority after the concerned sides proposed their candidates.
The appointments focus mainly on members of the Higher Judicial Council, with the file expected to witness a breakthrough as Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun agreed to withdraw his candidate running for the post, Judge Tannous Mishleb, reported al-Liwaa newspaper on October 1.
The position of the head of the HJC remains vacant over a lingering dispute between Suleiman and Aoun.
The HJC is formed of 10 members in which the head of the council, the General Prosecutor and the head of the Judicial Inspection Board are appointed by a decree issued by the cabinet.
Two of the remaining seven are chosen by the members of the Court of Cassation, and the remaining five are appointed by the justice minister and approved by the president without necessarily consulting the government.
In June, Suleiman approved a decree referred by Prime Minister Najib Miqati and drafted by Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to appoint five judges to the HJC as the tenure of the current members ended.
The appointed judges are Jospeh Samaha, Marie Denise al-Meouchi, Rida Raad, Oussama al-Lahham, and Mirna Bayda for three non-renewable years.
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