Mikati OKs parliament law extending Aoun's term despite Bassil's objection

Cabinet convened Tuesday and issued 14 laws previously passed in Parliament, including extending the army chief's term for a year.

On Friday, Parliament approved delaying for one year the retirement of senior officers at the head of the military and security services, including army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun who was set to retire in January.

Aoun's departure would have added another gap to crisis-hit Lebanon's withering and paralyzed institutions. The tiny Mediterranean country has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October last year, while its government has been running in a limited caretaker capacity. Lebanon has also been without a top spy chief to head its General Security Directorate since March, and without a central bank governor since July.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil who opposes the extension of Aoun's term said that amid a presidential void, all 24 ministers must sign on the law for it to be published in the official Gazette.

The FPM ministers boycotted the cabinet session today, thus Bassil considered the law unconstitutional.

The FPM MPs will submit an appeal against the law before the constitutional council.