Head of Security Media Cell denies conflict between promotion rules at Commander-in-Chief's Office and Interior Ministry
Lieutenant General Saad Ma'an denied any conflict between the promotion rules issued by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry, while press reports revealed conflicting directives between the two entities and parliamentary intervention in the crisis.
Lieutenant General Saad Ma'an, head of the Security Media Cell, denied on Tuesday any dispute between the rules and directives issued by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry regarding the promotion of officers.
Ma'an said in a statement, according to press reports, that the decision issued by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces preceded the order from the Interior Minister, affirming that there is no conflict between the rules issued by the two bodies.
He added that the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry are working together to prioritize the interests of officers and ensure they receive their entitlements.
According to the statement, Ma'an called on officers and interested parties to follow official media channels to learn the facts accurately.
Earlier, Ali al-Azeerjawi, a lawmaker from the State of Law bloc, revealed the intervention of the Speaker of Parliament Hibat al-Halbousi in the crisis over promotions of Interior Ministry officers.
This followed press reports that pointed to a "power struggle" between Interior Minister Yasser Sakhil al-Maliki and the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces over promotion rules.
According to those reports, a conflict in the rules arose after Interior Minister Yasser Sakhil al-Maliki issued a directive on 20 October 2026 that facilitated the promotion of officers without requiring occupation of certain posts in some cases; the following day a letter was issued by the Director of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Abd al-Amir al-Shammari, which reinstated the requirement to occupy specific posts for promotion to higher ranks.
The dispute centers on whether holding a specific post should be a condition for promotion, while the amended Internal Security Forces Service and Retirement Law No. 18 of 2011 stipulates that officers' promotions are made on the proposal of the Interior Minister and by decision of the Prime Minister.
