Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Friday supported President Michel Aoun's stance on a disputed decree that has sparked an unprecedented spat with Speaker Nabih Berri.
“The seniority decree is not related to finance... whereas the promotions decree entails financial obligations and requires the finance minister's signature,” said al-Rahi after talks with Aoun in Baabda.
“If there are good intentions, the problem can be solved in one meeting. This is what we are hoping for, because people and the country do not bear disputes and procrastination amid the pressing social and economic situations,” the patriarch added.
The Aoun-Berri spat broke out after the president and the premier signed a decree granting one-year seniority to a number of officers. Berri and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil have insisted that the decree should have also carried the finance minister's signature.