Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri agreed this week on the need to fill vacant high-ranking positions in state institutions, mainly the judiciary, the Central Bank and the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR).
Sources said the agreement was reached between them when Hariri visited Aoun last Wednesday at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.
Sources from both the presidency and premiership told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that Aoun and Hariri agreed on the roadmap to fill 43 vacant seats.
They said the president and the PM held onto stopping the appointments from causing disputes among political parties.
“There is a need to appoint the right person in the right position and not to stick to sectarian calculations,” the sources said.
The next step would be decided during a meeting expected between Hariri and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, when the latter returns from a visit to Ireland, according to the sources.
Several political parties expressed support to the Aoun-Hariri agreement, saying many positions have been vacant for more than nine years.
A cabinet member said that the appointments will not be discussed during next Tuesday’s government session.
The source said that both Hariri and Bassil should first agree on how the appointments would be made.
According to Information International, there are 11 vacant positions to be filled by Maronites, four by Orthodox figures, four by Catholics, two by Armenians and minorities, 13 by Sunnis, seven by Shiites and two by Druze.
