ICJ chief Nawaf Salam named Lebanon’s new Prime Minister

Former envoy to UN receives enough support from MPs during consultations with President Joseph Aoun

Nawaf Salam was named as Lebanon’s next Prime Minister after receiving the support of 84 MPs when they held binding consultations with newly elected President Joseph Aoun on Monday.

Antoine Choucair, the director General of the Presidency, announced the result, saying Mr Salam was abroad and would arrive in Beirut tomorrow.

The designation of Mr Salam, a president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, appeared to be a blow to Hezbollah, which was seen to have supported caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati.

According to Lebanon's constitution, the president chooses the prime minister and is bound to select the candidate with the most support during consultations with the 128 MPs. This means the support of 65 MPs is enough to be designated as prime minister, a threshold Mr Salam passed on Monday afternoon.

His designation, along with Mr Aoun's election, would mark a new era in Lebanese politics. Many are hopeful his appointment will start a new chapter in Lebanon's history, recently marred by war, economic collapse, and deep distrust and widespread dissatisfaction with the ruling classes. Neither Mr Aoun or Mr Salam are seen as part of that elite echelon.

As the talks began on Monday at the presidential palace in Baabda, Mr Salam was regarded as the front-runner along with Mr Mikati. But in the end it was not even close, with Mr Salam receiving the support of 84 MPs to Mr Mikati's nine. Some 35 abstained, including Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal Movement – led by Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri.

On Monday afternoon, the situation changed quickly as several major parties said they would support Mr Salam.

They included the Free Patriotic Movement and the Druze Progressive Socialist Party, whose stance had been unclear going into the consultations.

Hezbollah and Amal had appeared to signal they would back Mr Mikati. But as the victory of Mr Salam was becoming clearer, both changed tack and did not nominate anyone.

'The era of weapons is over'

Hezbollah parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad called for a government that takes into account Lebanon's multi-confessional state; essentially saying that the Shiite community must be represented.

He accused Hezbollah's opponents of working for fragmentation and exclusion. He said the group had "extended its hand" by electing Mr Aoun as president last week only to find the "hand cut".

Georges Adwan, the parliamentary leader of the legislature's largest party, the Lebanese Forces, called on Hezbollah to focus on “political work”.

“The era of weapons is over,” he said, after the LF endorsed Mr Salam.

Since President Joseph Aoun comes from outside the class that ruled the country, it is necessary for people from this sphere to join him

MP Melhem Khalaf

The new prime minister will have the responsibility of steering Lebanon through several challenges, including rebuilding efforts and ensuring a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel holds.

Melhem Khalaf, an independent MP and constitutional expert who previously took to sleeping in parliament to protest against his colleagues' failure to elect a president, said his vote for Mr Salam was one “for change”.

“Since President Joseph Aoun comes from outside the class that ruled the country, it is necessary for people from this sphere to join him,” he added.

Mr Salam is a diplomat, legal scholar and former ambassador, who served as Lebanon’s permanent representative at the UN from 2007 to 2017.

Known for his technocratic expertise and reformist stance, Mr Salam has gained support from opposition factions and reformists who view him as a figure capable of introducing institutional change.

Mr Mikati phoned Mr Salam, who is in The Hague, as soon as the designation was made to congratulate him.

"It was my destiny to lead this country in its most difficult times, when many hesitated to take responsibility," said Mr Mikati, who was essentially head of state in the absence of a president as Israel waged a devastating war on Lebanon last year.

Mr Aoun and Mr Salam face challenges ahead in rebuilding swathes of the country after a devastating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. AP

After Mr Aoun was elected last week, Mr Mikati said he was ready to serve as prime minister again if asked.

Opponents of Mr Mikati say he is part of the old regime, having been prime minister for three terms.

One of the wealthiest businessmen in Lebanon, Mr Mikati has often been characterised, during political deadlocks, as a consensus candidate acceptable to Lebanon's entrenched political blocs. While his supporters praise his experience and pragmatism, critics argue his leadership has failed to deliver reforms during Lebanon’s economic collapse.

An important development emerged early on Monday when MP Fouad Makhzoumi announced he was withdrawing from the race and supporting Mr Salam.

Mr Makhzoumi is an influential member of the coalition opposed to Hezbollah. At the weekend he received the support of parliament's largest party, the LF, which on Monday then went with Mr Salam after Mr Makhzoumi's withdrawal. Mr Makhzoumi said he did not want to split the opposition's vote.

Under the country's unique confessional system, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim. Nominating a candidate does not guarantee a new government will be formed.

The process can take months given deep political divisions and trading within a parliament where no party or bloc holds a majority. Mr Aoun's election came at a time of significant international pressure, particularly from the US and Saudi Arabia, and ended a two-and-a-half-year power vacuum.