Joseph Aoun, the new president of Lebanon, has tasked Nawaf Salam with forming the next government.
Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, has named Nawaf Salam, a prominent diplomat and president of the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ), as prime minister of Lebanon.
Mr. Salam was tasked with forming Lebanon’s new government after being named prime minister by a large number of lawmakers on Monday, a move that apparently angered Shiite Hezbollah and its allies.
Mr. Salam’s nomination was made by Western-backed groups as well as independents in the Lebanese parliament. Mr. Salam enjoys the support of Saudi Arabia and Western countries. Hezbollah lawmakers refrained from nominating a candidate for prime minister.
French President Emmanuel Macron in a tweet congratulated Mr. Salam upon the announcement of his appointment.
A glimmer of hope
Nawaf Salam’s arrival is seen by many as a beacon of hope after the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, which left at least 4,000 dead and nearly 20,000 injured.
The war also caused massive destruction throughout the country, mainly in the south, but also in the capital Beirut. The damage is estimated at hundreds of millions of euros.
The war temporarily stopped at the end of November, when a 60-day truce came into effect under the auspices of the United States.
Shortly after Mr. Salam won the support of the majority of Lebanese lawmakers, people celebrated his nomination in the streets of Beirut with fireworks, hoping that his nomination and the election of Joseph Aoun as president last week would unlock billions of euros in investments and loans from foreign donors, thus relieving the serious economic crisis that has plagued the country for years.
Neither Mr. Aoun nor Mr. Salam are considered part of the country’s political class, which has been accused of widespread corruption and mismanagement in recent decades.
Tensions with Hezbollah
In recent years, Hezbollah has repeatedly blocked Mr Salam from becoming prime minister, labeling him a US-backed candidate.
“We will see their actions when it comes to forcing the occupiers to leave our country, bringing back the prisoners, rebuilding and implementing the UN Security Council resolution that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah,” said Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, after his meeting with Mr. Aoun.
Mr. Raad added that Hezbollah had extended its hand last week by electing Mr. Aoun and that it hoped to meet an extended hand from the other side, “but this hand was cut off“.
What is the next part of the process?
After a day of consultations between Mr Aoun and lawmakers, Mr Salam secured the support of 84 MPs, while outgoing Prime Minister Mr Najib Mikati received nine votes. Thirty-four lawmakers out of the 128-member legislature abstained.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati congratulated Mr Salam shortly after the results were released and wished him well in his new role.
Mr. Salam is expected to return to Lebanon now that he is prime minister-designate. A meeting is planned for Tuesday at the presidential palace in Beirut between Mr. Aoun, Mr. Salam and the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, to officially launch the process of forming a new cabinet.
ADVERTISEMENTIt was not immediately clear whether Mr. Salam planned to resign as president of the ICJ.
His appointment comes after more than two years during which Lebanon was ruled by an interim government led by Najib Mikati.
Mr Salam has a difficult task ahead following the truce with Israel, which has caused massive destruction in the Mediterranean country. The primary objective will be to rebuild the damage and begin the healing process.
Nawaf will also have to strive to get this small country of less than six million inhabitants, around a million of whom were displaced during the war, out of the five-year economic crisis that has paralyzed the population and infrastructure. and services of the country.
ADVERTISEMENTWho is Nawaf Salam?
Nawaf Salam, who is 71 years old, is a member of a prominent Sunni Muslim family in Beirut. His uncle, Saeb Salam, was one of the country’s leaders who fought for independence from France and later served as prime minister for several terms. Mr Salam’s cousin, Tammam Salam, also served as prime minister for two years in 2014.
Mr. Salam holds a doctorate in political science from Sciences Po University, as well as a doctorate in history from the Sorbonne University. He also holds a master’s degree in law from Harvard Law School. Mr. Salam has worked in a large number of universities as a lecturer in various fields.
In 2007, he was appointed Ambassador of Lebanon to the United Nations, a position he held for ten years. In 2018, Mr. Salam was elected a judge at the ICJ, and in February last year he was elected president of the UN’s highest court, becoming the first Lebanese citizen to hold the position.
