BEIRUT — Free Patriotic Movement MPs on Tuesday called on the government to “immediately” dismiss the governor of Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, after Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a press conference Tuesday morning ruled out the possibility of removing him, saying “one can’t change officers during a war.”
Here’s what we know:
• A statement issued by FPM MPs countered Mikati’s argument, saying “no one goes into battle with officers who are not prepared and who are accused of treachery.”
• The statement added, “we cannot win the war when there is the person at the head of the army who caused the [economic] collapse,” in reference to Salemeh, who has led the central bank since 1993.
• Salameh, whose financial dealings are the subject of investigations in several jurisdictions, is perceived by many Lebanese and some officials as responsible for the economic and financial crisis in the country that has seen the national currency lose over 90 percent of its value in a two-year period and has trapped many depositors' savings in the banking system.
• The FPM deputies also expressed agreement with the statement given by party’s founder and President of Lebanon Michel Aoun, who on Monday called on Lebanese parties to embark on a dialogue on “extended administrative and financial decentralization, a national defense strategy and a financial and economic recovery plan.”
• The FPM deputies also in their statement slammed the Constitutional Council for not taking a decision on the appeal to invalidate the electoral law, saying this emphasizes the “failure and paralysis of the highest constitutional court.”
• The Constitutional Council last Tuesday failed to pass a majority vote on a decision in relation to FPM’s appeal against the amendments adopted by Parliament. The electoral law amendments had set the voting date on March 27 and determined that expatriates should vote in Lebanon’s 15 existing constituencies rather than in a new six-seat 16th constituency — both amendments were rejected by FPM. However, while it now looks certain that expatriates will vote for 128 parliamentarians rather than six, both the interior minister and the premier have signed a decree calling elections on May 15, meaning that if Aoun also signs, the polls will go ahead on the FPM’s preferred May date and not the March date opposed by the party.