Report: Aoun-Berri Spat over Officers' Decree 'Threatens' Political Consensus

An aggravating political spat between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri over a controversial officers' decree "threatens political consensus" with an open crisis expected to weigh on all other political files, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Speaker Nabih Berri sharply replied to President Michel Aoun's remarks on the officers' decree, promoting a number of Army officers, bidding “farewell to the Taef Accord, the Constitution, norms and Cabinet.”

Aoun had made remarks a day earlier that the officers' decree required the signature of the President and the Prime Minister alone.

In this regard, Berri eulogized article 54 of the Constitution, he said: “I was told that the decree requires the signature of the President and PM alone,” sadly we can say “farewell to the Taef, constitution and Cabinet.”

Berri's stance on Tuesday came in remarks he made to media representatives, whereby he dwelt on the current debatable officers' decree in light of the latest statements made by Aoun on Monday.

Aoun had noted that the decree that has sparked a row with Berri is “lawful,” asking those who have reservations to “go to the judiciary.”

In reply to remarks that the arguable officers' decree does not entail any financial burden, Berri stressed that the decree bears such a burden, and decried that it should have also carried the signature of Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil.

Ain el-Tineh sources have also warned that the decree would tip sectarian balance in favor of Christians in the army’s highest echelons.

The officers in question were undergoing their first year of officer training at the Military Academy when Syrian forces ousted Aoun’s military government from Baabda in 1990. They were suspended until 1993 before they resumed their officer training course as second-year cadets.