Lebanon has been experiencing a presidential vacuum since October, after the end former Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s term, amid a crisis between the two presidencies; the presidential palace and the government, which has later reflected on the possibility of vacancies in various State positions, including the most sensitive position of governor of the Lebanese Central Bank which could become vacant in August.

Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rai warned of the continuation of the vacuum in key positions.

He said in January that “if unemployment continues, it will affect all constitutional, financial, and military institutions”, considering that there is a plan to create a vacuum in the Maronite and Christian positions in order to seize them de facto.

According to Mohammad Chamseddine, a researcher at "International Information", the number of first-class jobs or their equivalent in the Lebanese State reaches 180 jobs, divided equally between Christians and Muslims.

There are other positions, such as the position of the director of Middle East Airlines and Casino Lebanon, which are not considered first-class, but are equivalent.

He explained to the "Arab News Agency" that such parallel positions to first-class jobs are not government jobs, but are distributed according to customs between Christian and Muslim sects, among public administrations, institutions, and private companies wholly or partially owned by the State.

The first-class jobs referred to by Chamseddine include positions such as Army Command, Presidency of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, General Directorate of State Security, Presidency of the Lebanese University, and others, which are distributed equally among the eighteen Lebanese sects.

Chamseddine pointed out that 12 basic positions might become vacant this year, including the position of Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank, commander of the Gendarmerie and Director-General of Customs.

Next year, there may be more vacant positions including the leadership of the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army.

Chamseddine also confirmed that the government is unable to appoint a new governor for the Central Bank due to the need for the Cabinet to have a President of the Republic to sign the appointment decree.

He considered the presidential vacuum as political, saying that "practically, there is no complete administrative vacancy, because every job has a deputy who performs the tasks”.

“There are currently 79 vacant positions in the State, and there are those who occupy them by proxy. For example, the position of Director-General of Roads and Buildings in the Ministry of Public Works has been vacant for about six years, and the head of the real estate department performs the duties of the position by proxy,” he explained.