“Our first and last demand is to live with dignity,” says one of the protesters in the retired military personnel’s movement, adding, “Thieves must return what they stole… We have put our blood on our hands for the sake of protecting the country, and the least we want is $500 monthly to live and support our families… This is our right.”
Dozens of retired military personnel frequently gather to demand the government cancel privileges and designations, such as social assistance, advances on salaries, and illegal transportation allowances constitutionally, and replace them with a fair and equal pay scale for all. Retired military personnel consider that “what the government is doing amounts to racial discrimination against the retired military.”
Recently, retirees organized dozens of sit-ins protesting against their unfair treatment by the government, along with several stand-offs in front of official departments and institutions, including the Ministry of Finance. Yet, this has not moved the government and has not enabled them to secure their minimum rights.
“The army is the guarantor of the stability of Lebanon’s security”
Since the collapse of the Lebanese pound and its implications for all Lebanese, the financial crisis’s effects on retired military personnel have been confounded, by the fact that a military retiree’s salary does not exceed $50 monthly, lack of ability to work due to age, and most importantly, their savings forcefully withheld by Lebanese banks.
Zeina Akar, the former Minister of Defense in Hassan Diab’s government, the first woman to hold the defense portfolio in the Arab world, was among the first to notice the implications of the crisis on the military. She was almost the only one in her political position who sought to find solutions to the military’s economic crisis.
Zeina Akar implemented significant reforms within the Ministry of Defense, fostering a strong rapport with the military’s leadership, a notable shift after years of discord. She abolished numerous exemptions, made regular visits to the troops, and held meetings with officers, marking a rare occurrence in a department initially skeptical of female leadership. Nonetheless, her expertise and proficiency in human resources management transformed her team into a model of success.
Upon Zeina Akar’s succession of the Ministry of Defense from former Minister Elias Bou Saab, she said, “I came to work and try to achieve something and I ask the people to watch me and hold me accountable”… Akar strived to improve the military’s conditions. In 2020, Zeina Akar signed the military promotions in the Lebanese army, which includes all ranks.
The former Minister of Defense, Zeina Akar, considered in a talk with “Al Jadeed” channel that “abandoning the army, which guarantees Lebanon’s stability and the security of the Lebanese, is not permissible.”
Sons of the Homeland…
Through her direct contact with military personnel, Zeina Akar discovered that personnel spend more than half of their salaries on transportation. Akar said, “I contacted the army commander to study how to get buses to transport the military, he quickly agreed, and buses were purchased soon after to solve this problem”… Akar says in one of her interviews on the “Asas” website.
Zeina Akar worked closely with the army commander, General Joseph Aoun, to assist the military establishment to enable it to withstand the ongoing economic collapse.
On the issue of military personnel deserting service, Zeina Akar said, “This is expected because anyone who has a better opportunity will not hesitate to take it. But the rate of desertion of duty is not significant, and this is something the brigades deal with. Often they are brought back, and some come and go.” Akar noted that the penalties were mitigated due to the difficult economic conditions. On the deserting military personnel, she said, “We understand when they leave, and we welcome them when they return… For they are the sons of the army.”
During her tenure as Minister of Defense, Zeina Akar inspected several brigades and battalions of the Lebanese army in most Lebanese regions and reinforced communication with the military and officers. She also strove to facilitate the work of the military by improving their living conditions and reassuring them that “solutions are ready.”
It is worth mentioning that Zeina Akar is the first Lebanese woman to hold three key government positions: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. This is in addition to Akar’s role in managing Nabu Museum in El- Heri, North Lebanon, which is am institution dedicated to preserving the communities’ connection to its culture through educational programs, training sessions, organized tours, public lectures, and guided exhibitions provided.
Summary:
“Thieves must return what they stole… We have put our blood on our hands for the sake of protecting the country”… was the outcry of one of the retired military personnel in the repeated demands they make. And the former Minister of Defense, Zeina Akar says, “The army, which constitutes the guarantee for Lebanon’s stability and the security of the Lebanese.”
