Appointments on the Track, Stealing Arms from the LA

Zeinab Essa

The political action in Lebanon stands still as the Easter vacation gave some rest to major files and debates ahead of the triplet parliamentary session next Tuesday.

Moreover, hopes are raised that the government's meeting on April 20 forms an appropriate chance to close the file of the Technical Committee's report on generating electricity ships.

However, a sad event marred the calmness of Holidays.

NTV Crew under Fire

Ali Shaaban, a 31 year old news cameraman for Lebanese television station New TV, was martyred Monday, after the news crew came under fire in the northern Lebanese border area of Wadi Khaled.
The fired shots reportedly came from the Syrian side of the border.

Shaaban was accompanied by fellow cameraman Abdel-Hafiz al-Khayyat, and reporter Hussein Khreis, both of whom escaped the gunfire unhurt.
According to the New TV reports, the crew was in Wadi Khaled to cover "the latest developments after clashes that took place there the day before."

In parallel, Syria media source said that "the crew which came under heavy fire on the Syrian-Lebanese borders was in a border area that witnesses repeated daily infiltration attempts by gunmen and gunfire by armed terrorist groups."
"A post for the Syrian border guards came under fire by an armed terrorist group simultaneously when the NTV team was in the area, seemingly in an attempt to infiltrate across the borders to carry out terrorist attacks, and the guards responded to the fire," SANA media source reported.

Electricity Discussions on Top

On another internal level, "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper unveiled that Energy ministry is to launch its meetings to prepare the draft contracts with the Turkish company for renting two electricity generating ships.

In the same context, "National Struggle Front" Leader MP Walid Jumblatt called for "launching an international tender process to build modern power plants."
In an interview with "as-Safir" newspaper, Jumbaltt announced that he met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati "at a common friend's house and discussed the issue of electricity."
"We rented the power-generating ships, but are they enough?" he asked.

Meanwhile, Economy minister Nicolas Nahhas confirmed that "the relationship between Mikati and MP Jumblatt has always been a relationship of close alliance, understanding and agreement on a lot of files."
"Discussions continue with Jumblatt, and are still going to find the best formula for electoral law," Nahhas told "al-Akhbar" daily.

Appointments After Vacation:

On another level, "as-Safir" learned that appointments file is on top of the ministerial agenda after the vacation.
According to the daily, "PM Mikati is determined to accelerate the appointment of top civil servants in state posts and to pressure cabinet ministers to exert efforts concerning this issue."

Sources close to the PM further informed that "he is keen to overcome the obstacles facing the appointments."
This comes as Energy Minister Gebran Bassil had set mid-May as a date for the appointment of the Board of Directors of the state body governing the oil sector.
For his part, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel has designated the remainder of the month as the time to complete the appointment of governors and mayors.

In remarks to "as-Safir", Charbel unveiled that he is at the final stages of naming the candidates for the vacant posts of governors at the end of April.
"Charbel tackled the issue with Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammed Fneish who also discussed with Minister of Health Ali Hassan Khalil the appointments in the vacant posts in public hospitals," the daily clarified.
"It is time for the government to end the dispute over appointments," Fneish stressed to "as-Safir" revealing that "that the vacancies in state posts are over 40 percent."

He also confirmed that all "the ministries carried out its tasks concerning the issue as the appointments mechanism was set to appoint those who are efficient."

Army's Weapons For Syria's Opposition

On the security level, "al-Akhbar" daily mentioned that the Lebanese army discovered recently a security breach within its institution resembled by "stealing military weapons and selling them to arms dealers, who in turn transfer them to areas in Beirut and in the north, and from there to Syria so that the so-called "Free Syrian Army" would benefit from them."

"The Directorate of Army Intelligence stopped an officer who is responsible for the weapons warehouse in the eighth brigade," the daily added stating that "the detainee named Kh. H, is from the Bekaa town of Arsal."
It further reported that "the soldier was arrested on suspicion of theft of large number of weapons and ammunition from the battalion depot, and then selling them."

According to the newspaper, "the investigation showed that the number of stolen machine guns exceeds ninety guns, in addition to a large amount of ammunition."
"Based on investigations carried out, the army intelligence stopped more than a dozen people in the Bekaa and in Tariq Jdedeh in preparation for smuggling them to the Syrian front, particularly the Syrian opposition


Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org