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Conflict Incident Report
Forest rangers protest at Baabda against stalled appointments
Successful applicants for the government’s forest ranger service held a protest near the presidential palace in Baabda to coincide with Wednesdays Cabinet session, calling on the government to issue decrees appointing them to their jobs.
The protesters called on Prime Minister Saad Hariri and President Michel Aoun to issue the appointments, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Successful civil service applicants for a number of public institutions, including forest rangers, have been protesting against the delay of their appointments in recent months.
Ministers have been delaying finalizing the appointments, citing the need for a sectarian balance in public institutions. However, the Constitution doesn’t specify that balance is needed for lower-level jobs. Article 95 states that “the principle of confessional representation in public service jobs ... shall be canceled,” with the exception of Grade 1 jobs. The protesting applicants all fall under Grade 4, exempting their positions from requiring sectarian balance.