Lebanon names new army chief of staff

Lebanon has named Major General Hatem Malak as the country’s new acting Army chief of staff, succeeding Major General Walid Salman, who completed his term of office, the New Arab has reported. The announcement was made on Friday by Defence Minister Samir Moqbel, who also said that Brigadier General Hussein Abdullah will be the new chairman of the permanent military court.

The defence minister made both decisions with political cover from the government and its partners, and after discussing the issue of the chief of staff with the Druze. He is expected to delay the dismissal of the army’s Brigadier General Jean Kahwaji, despite the opposition of the Change and Reform bloc, which has boycotted the government due to this intention.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nihad Al-Mashnouq warned of the constitutional vacuum in the country. “Our situation in all of the state institutions is worse than what we could have ever thought possible,” he said. “Nevertheless, the degrading and ignoring of the Constitution is ongoing.”

Al-Mashnouq stressed that his party, Future Current, would not take any constitutional step before choosing a president for Lebanon. He also called for not putting any conditions on the negotiation table.