Cabinet approved Wednesday four long-delayed key administrative and financial appointments to Lebanon’s Central Bank, including the appointment of Marwan Abboud as Governor of Beirut.
Wassim Mansouri, Bashir Yaqzan, Salim Chahine and Alexander Maradian were appointed as deputies for the central bank governor.
The Cabinet session has kicked off in Baabda today afternoon to discuss an agenda of 15 items topped by financial and administrative appointments amid the boycott of the two Marada ministers.
The proposed appointments included naming for deputies for the central bank governor, a head and five members for the Banking Control Commission, three members for the Capital Markets Authority, a state commissioner to the central bank and a state commissioner to the Banking Control Commission.
They also include the appointment of a Civil Service Council chief, a Beirut governor, a Keserwan and Jbeil governor, a director general for the Economy Ministry, an investment director general for the Energy Ministry and a director general for the General Directorate of Cereals and Sugar Beet.
This came as news were circulated that Lebanon’s troubled banks were reportedly considering filing lawsuits against the Central Bank of Lebanon and the Lebanese government to make them pay back their debts.
Banks who were reportedly “shocked” over the outcome of Baabda financial meeting, demand the collection of loans granted to the state, and recover the certificates of deposit (CD) offered to the Central Bank, said Al-Jomhouriya newspaper.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun met with PM Hassan Diab ahead of the cabinet session in Baabda.
“We won’t waste time responding to rumors targeting the Presidency and the government, especially those mentioning a Cabinet change or ouster,” Aoun said in the cabinet.
Diab, however, stressed that the Israeli enemy wants to stir strife in Lebanon to cover up for its plan to annex the West Bank and urged vigilance to foil this plot.
