“Lebanon Debate”
After the decision of the Constitutional Council regarding the appeal of the law extending the term of the President of the Lebanese University, the President of the Constitutional Council, Judge Tannous Meshleb, explained that the Council invalidated the provisions allowing the extension of the term of the President of the University for six months, in addition to the provisions related to preserving the right of the current University President to run for a second term, and obliging the Council of Ministers to appoint deans in person, while keeping in effect the basic rule that stipulates that the term of the President of the Lebanese University extends for five years, and is subject to renewal once.
In an interview with “Lebanon Debate,” Meshleb explained that the Constitutional Council invalidated what he considered to be in violation of the Constitution, saying that the House of Representatives can, in principle, extend the term of the university president according to the rule that stipulates that the term is for five years, renewable once, “and we have not invalidated this.”
He added: “We nullified everything other than that, that is, what relates to extending the term for six or nine months, the right to run, and so on. We nullified these matters, but what relates to the right of the House of Representatives to adopt the rule that the term is for five years, renewable once, we did not consider this to be in violation of the Constitution.”
When asked if this meant that the extension for the current university president had been revoked, Meshleb answered clearly: “The extension for six months, he has no right to it, but he still has the right to run for president of the university.”
He explained that the current university president could return and be appointed again, stressing that the appointment decision belongs to the Council of Ministers, and that the Constitutional Council’s decision did not revoke the right of the current university president to run for a new term, but rather annulled the exceptional extension that was granted to him.
Regarding the legal status of the university president after the end of his term, in the event that he is not appointed again or a replacement is appointed, Judge Meshalb explained that matters return to the mechanism that was previously approved, so that the official determined by the university law in relation to this matter assumes his duties temporarily.
Meshalb concluded by confirming that the Constitutional Council resolved in its decision the points that it considered to be in violation of the constitution, while keeping the basic rule regarding the term of the university president, which is five years, renewable once, in force, while the right of the current university president remains to run for a new term, provided that the decision to appoint him, if chosen, returns to the Council of Ministers.
