The Bureau of the Lebanese parliament convened, on Monday at noon, to prepare for a legislative session with a number of urgent matters on its agenda, most notably extending the mandate of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and the heads of security apparatuses. The session was set for Thursday, November 28.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Elias Bou Saab, said at the end of the meeting that the agenda included five items, the main one being the extension of the mandate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the heads of the security agencies. Several bills have been submitted to the parliamentary bureau on this subject. General Aoun's term of office expires in January.
Also on the agenda is a bill relating to the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, to avoid paralysis of this institution as the majority of its members have reached retirement age. There is also a bill to extend their terms in office on an exceptional basis.
Other bills are related to administrative deadlines, public purchasing and a valuation of state assets.
About the ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Bou Saab said that Israel opted to escalate hostilities “every time we get close to a serious agreement, in order to put pressure on the other side (Hezbollah)”. According to Bou Saab, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah, “does not back down under pressure, particularly with regard to Resolution 1701, which he is keen to implement”.
Bou Saab was optimistic about the current talks, stressing that “nothing is certain with Netanyahu.” According to him, “what can put pressure on Israel is the field (battlefield).”
In addition, he pointed out that Lebanon insists on France remaining a member of the monitoring committee for the implementation of Resolution 1701. “We haven't heard anything about Israel's freedom of movement in Lebanon, and we continue to talk only about resolution 1701 without any added mechanism for implementation,” he added.
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