by aawsat.com — Lebanon’s controversial naturalization decree has included former Syrian officials and wealthy warlords close to the Syrian regime, according to information released on Saturday. Minister of Education in the caretaker government Marwan Hamadeh accused President Michel Aoun of conspiring with the Syrian regime. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hamadeh said the decree, “regardless of the powers of those who signed it, indicates a serious complicity between the Lebanese governance, in particular the current term, with the Syrian authorities that massacred the Syrian people.” “The decree entails more threats than the mere naturalization of some of the suspicious people of the Bashar Assad regime, who will certainly be hit by international and Arab sanctions sooner or later,” he added. Hamadeh called on Prime Minister Saad Hariri to give answers to his friends and allies about the truth behind this decree. Meanwhile, in an official presidential statement on Saturday, Aoun requested that anyone with evidence of the ineligibility of members of the list of people to be granted Lebanese citizenship bring the information to General Security. “The President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, requests anyone who has definite information about any person included in the above-mentioned decree and does not deserve Lebanese nationality to submit this information to the Ministry of the Interior,” the statement read.

Three parliamentary blocs, including the Democratic Gathering, headed by Taymur Jumblat, the “Powerful Republic”, led by the Lebanese Forces, and the Kataeb Party, are preparing to challenge the decree before the Constitutional Council. Some information and photos posted on Twitter revealed that those who were granted Lebanese nationality include Farouk al-Joud, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lattakia. He is the owner of the largest fleet of ships and is close to the Syrian regime. The family of former Syrian Minister Hani Murtada, Samer Fawz, who is very close to Maher al-Assad and Iyad Ghazal, former governor of Homs, have also been included in the decree. It is not yet confirmed whether some of these names have been mentioned on the lists of international and Arab sanctions, since the naturalization decree has not yet been officially released. However, the Lebanese nationality is an outlet for Syrian individuals and investors to open bank accounts, given that their country is subject to sanctions that hinder their work. The decree needs the signature of the prime minister and interior minister to take effect.