Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held consultations on Sunday regarding Lebanon’s next prime minister, who looks poised to be Nawaf Salam, who has gained the support of enough lawmakers to be designated Lebanon’s next prime minister.
Lebanon had lacked a president for two years, during which Najib Mikati was the caretaker prime minister. This resulted in Mikati essentially becoming the country’s leader, even though Lebanon is supposed to have a president in that role.
Lebanese politics are divided along sectarian lines, meaning that the presidency is historically held by a Christian, whereas the premiership is held by a Sunni Muslim.
Lebanese MP Fouad Makhzoumi announced on Monday his decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race, paving the way for a close race between Mikati and Lebanese diplomat and jurist Nawaf Salam, who secured the required support.
Lebanese MP Osama Saad named Salam as a choice for prime minister-designate during recent consultations at Baabda Palace, the residence of the president. Saad is the head of one of Lebanon’s numerous parties. Another Lebanese politician, Ibrahim Mneimneh, announced he would be willing to serve as PM, only to then step aside in favor of Salam.
Who is Salam?
Born in Beirut in 1953, Salam is a career diplomat and jurist. A former lecturer at the Sorbonne in France and the American University of Beirut, he has also worked as a lawyer. He was Lebanon’s Ambassador to the UN from 2007-2017, and this past February, he was chosen as the 27th president of the International Court of Justice and was supposed to serve for three years.
Salam is known as a harsh critic of Israel and often condemned it when he was Lebanon’s envoy to the UN and as head of the ICJ.
According to Al-Ain media in the UAE, after consultations were set to end, a vote was scheduled in parliament. Makhzoumi has supported Salam, as it appears many groups are coalescing around the former diplomat and current head of the ICJ.
“Based on my conviction that the presence of more than one opposition candidate will inevitably lead to everyone’s loss and that Lebanon needs a radical change in the approach to governance and a government that keeps pace with the aspirations of the new era of sovereignty and reform, and contributes to implementing the oath of office, which requires the broadest possible alliance,” Makhzoumi said, “I announce my withdrawal from the candidacy.”
The goal of those stepping aside for Salam is to unite the various opposition parties who have opposed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Those backing Salam include Christian groups such as the Strong Republic bloc in parliament, which has 19 seats, and Kataeb, with four seats, as well as the secular Renewal or Tajdid group of several members of parliament.
The Forces of Change group and independent members also support Salam, according to Al-Ain. The report quoted a source saying they did not “rule out the possibility of the Strong Lebanon bloc (14 MPs), headed by Gebran Bassil, voting in favor of Salam.” The Druze Democratic Gathering party appeared to still be waiting to decide by press time but was leaning toward Salam.
Salam is popularly depicted as part of a new desire for reform and support for a “sovereign” Lebanon, coded language indicating a Lebanon that is free from Iranian influence and Syria. With the Assad regime gone, Lebanon has less to fear from its neighbor, which occupied Lebanon from 1976 to 2005. Syria and Hezbollah have also been involved in numerous assassinations in Lebanon over the years.
Despite the sense that Aoun or Salam might want a more sovereign Lebanon, neither of them presided over this development when Aoun was the army commander and Salam was at the UN. Instead, Lebanon failed to fulfill its duties after the Second Lebanon War (2006) and let Hezbollah rearm and return to southern Lebanon, eventually plunging the country into war with Israel.