Bassil Threatens Judicial, Street Action if Govt. Passes Decrees in FPM Absence

Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil warned Thursday that the FPM would resort to “the judiciary and street protests” if the cabinet passes decrees in the absence of the movement's ministers.

“Cursed by God is anyone who tries to uproot us from our land,” said Bassil at a dinner banquet for FPM expats.

“Cursed are those who try to uproot us from the presidency to elect a president in a manner that violates the National Pact,” Bassil added.

“Cursed are those who try to uproot us from parliament with an electoral law that violates the National Pact and cursed are those who try to uproot us from cabinet through holding sessions that violate the National Pact,” the FPM chief warned.

The 1943 National Pact is an unwritten agreement that distributed power among the country's religious communities and set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state.

“It is prohibited for the cabinet to pass any decree not carrying our signature regarding any file and we would resort to the judiciary and street protests” to counter any such move, Bassil cautioned.

The ministers of the FPM and the Tashnag Party boycotted Thursday's cabinet session in protest at the government's handling of the thorny issue of military appointments. Bassil had described the step as a “warning message.”

Last week, Defense Minister Samir Moqbel postponed the retirement of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir after no consensus was reached over three candidates that he had proposed, angering the FPM which says that it opposes term extensions for all senior officers.

The movement fears that the extension of Kheir's term could pave the way for a new extension of the tenure of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji next month.

Qahwaji's retirement had been postponed in September 2013 and his term was instead extended for two years.