Fate of Central Bank Governor Lies in Hand of Indecisive Stances

The stance of President Michel Suleiman on how to renew the mandate of Central Bank governor Riyad Salameh is not clear yet as some sources say that he prefers the adoption of “mobile draft-laws” while others claim that the head of state favors a cabinet session.

Sources close to Suleiman told As Safir daily on Friday that he rejects the adoption of the so-called mobile draft-laws and prefers “a consensual cabinet session” to only settle the crisis of the Central Bank governor if a new government was not formed.

But al-Liwaa daily quoted Suleiman’s visitors as saying that Berri does not have the right to call for a parliamentary session on June 8 to renew Salameh’s mandate because this means that he is overstepping the authorities of the president and the government.

Suleiman prefers the adoption of a “mobile draft-law” without holding a parliamentary session, they said.

The March 8 forces are backing Berri’s adamancy to hold a parliamentary session on June 8 but the March 14 coalition rejects such a move for fears that he would grant parliament executive authorities.

As for National Struggle Front bloc leader Walid Jumblat, who has good ties with March 8 and mainly Speaker Nabih Berri and wants to preserve his centrist policy, he has reportedly conditioned his participation in the parliamentary session, on having only the draft-law of Salameh’s renewal on the agenda.

Informed sources told al-Liwaa daily that Jumblat was surprised to see that Berri added 48 other items on the agenda, including granting amnesty to certain crimes committed before December 31, 2010, a move that March 14 strongly rejects.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun rejects the theory of “mobile draft-laws” and prefers that Director-General of the Finance Ministry Alain Bifani announce his candidacy to the post, al-Liwaa said.