Abbas Ibrahim pays the price of great confidence… The ball is in the Ministry of Interior’s court

Some time ago, the issue of the extension of the Director General of Public Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, entered the circle of political and legal tensions. It was said in the political scenes that the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, was not disturbed this time by the non-convening of the legislative session, and he “prayed and fasted” for the Christians to remain on Their boycott position, because the extension of Major General Ibrahim was not wanted; Note that many believe that Ibrahim is a serious and real competitor for the succession of Speaker Berri in Parliament and his presidency, whether at the head of the Directorate or outside it.

However, the most important question was regarding the position of “Hezbollah”, which more than one political source believes that it did not engage in the battle to extend Major General Abbas Ibrahim seriously and effectively, not to please his ally, Prime Minister Berri, but because of a “discomfort” in the leadership of the “party” regarding Ibrahim and his Western relations and trust. Which he gained as a result of his performance and clean practices on more than one line and level, but rather he was able to achieve gains where others did not dare, and they could not!

While attempts were made to find a way out to extend the term of the Director of Public Security through the Minister of Interior by an administrative decision, or through the Council of Ministers, the caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, seems to have made his decision, refusing to put the ball in the government’s court, especially since there is a consensus among the legal authorities that all A decision regarding the extension of Major General Ibrahim that is taken by the government will be in violation of the laws, because Major General Ibrahim is now subject to the obligations of the law on employees who leave service upon reaching the retirement age, i.e. 64 years.

Accordingly, the only solution to the crisis of extending Major General Ibrahim remains to extend it to him in the House of Representatives by amending the Personnel Law, which is not available due to the closure of the House and the non-convening of the legislative session, or by an administrative decision taken by the Minister of Interior to appoint Ibrahim as an advisor for public security affairs, without him having “Signature” ability, which is only assigned to the highest-ranking officer.

In today’s context, when Minister of Information in the caretaker government, Ziyad al-Makari, recited the decisions of the government session, he was asked about the position of President Mikati, who seemed to have recited the farewell speech of Major General Abbas Ibrahim during the session. And his bids for the homeland, and he said that the way out for the extension must be according to a law, because the Council of Ministers cannot do anything.

And about the prospective mechanism and who will succeed him in the apparatus, he said: “We did not talk explicitly about a mechanism, but the matter is decided by President Mikati that there is no solution in the cabinet.”

He added, “The Minister of Interior did not discuss this issue, and in my opinion this issue has nothing to do with the Council of Ministers, but has become an administrative procedure in the hands of the Minister of Interior.”

Does this mean that the ball is now in the court of the Minister of Interior to call him up from the reserves? The Minister of Information replied, “I have no information about what the Minister of Interior can do, and I am telling you what happened in the Council of Ministers.”

Available exits

An-Nahar had dealt with this crisis in a follow-up titled “The Fate of the Extension of Major General Ibrahim and the Available Exits.”

In the context, former Minister Nihad Al-Machnouk indicated that the method that the Minister of Interior could adopt is to appoint Major General Ibrahim as his advisor for public security affairs, so that he takes over the Directorate, but without obtaining the privilege of signing, as the signature then belongs to the highest-ranking officer, and therefore there is a problem. great in this respect.

But in the event that he did not insist on holding a session of the Council of Ministers, and we were informed that Major General Ibrahim was due to leave the General Directorate of Public Security, then it is customary for the person appointed by the Council of Ministers as Director of Public Security to take over the public administration by proxy. And since there is no acting general director currently appointed due to the retirement of Brigadier General Antoine Al-Bisari, the one who takes over the directorate will be the highest-ranking officer.

Former MP Boutros Harb explained to An-Nahar that when Major General Ibrahim returned and took over again the leadership of Public Security years ago, he had submitted his resignation from the corps and became a civilian; Therefore, any extension of it must be done by extending the retirement age of employees or making a specific amendment to it, such as dealing exclusively with the retirement age of military personnel.

Harb clarified that any decision by a minister or the Council of Ministers that may be contrary to the provisions of the Personnel Law is null and void.

A former security reference does not see a solution to extending Major General Ibrahim’s duties except through a legislative session in the House of Representatives, in which the personnel law is amended in some way, because Major General Ibrahim is a civilian and not a military one, and the provisions of the personnel law apply to him, which stipulates that the retirement age be set at 64 years, and any extension must be To be done by a law from the House of Representatives, even if it is still in active service! However, it may be possible to extend it according to military law, although this matter is not available in his situation, and therefore neither the Minister of Interior nor the Council of Ministers have the authority to decide on his status.

March 2, the date of Major General Ibrahim’s retirement from the Public Security Command He is not far awayWhile most scenarios indicate that the man who has gained the trust of relatives, brothers, and faraways, from abroad, is in the process of saying farewell, and paying the price of the great trust he gained from Lebanon to overseas, unless the Minister of Interior takes the initiative and accepts the general to be a commander. Without “signature” and… “prestige”.

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