An initiative launched by General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to resolve the paralysis of the Lebanese government caused by a deadly shooting in Aley has hit a dead end.
The cabinet has failed to hold sessions for the past four weeks over tension caused by the June 30 clashes that left two aides to Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Saleh Gharib dead in the Aley town of Qabr Shmoun.
Hopes for a breakthrough immediately dissipated on Thursday a day after Lebanese Democratic Party (LDP) leader MP Talal Arslan and Gharib emerged from a meeting chaired by President Michel Aoun in Baabda in the presence of Minister of State for Presidency Affairs Salim Jreissati, Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab and Ibrahim.
Arslan and his allies, including Gharib, have been calling for the shooting case, which is currently before the Military Tribunal, to be referred to the Judicial Council, a specialized court that handles highly sensitive security issues.
The cabinet has not convened in more than a month over disagreements on how to deal with the case and because only the government can refer the case to the Council.
Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that Ibrahim had launched his initiative only after being informed by Aoun that he would personally convince Arslan to deal positively with the General Security chief’s efforts.
They said Ibrahim’s initiative calls for the resumption of cabinet sessions as the Military Tribunal investigates the Qabr Shmoun shooting. Yet, it does not include a pledge to refer the matter to the Judicial Council.
But the Baabda meeting on Wednesday ended with no real progress after Arslan held onto his demand for the Council to investigate the shooting, which the LDP blames on supporters of Walid Jumblat’s Progressive Socialist Party.
Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri were reportedly informed that Aoun failed to convince Arslan in accepting Ibrahim’s mediation.
