Lebanon’s president names ICJ judge Nawaf Salam as PM-designate

Lebanon's newly elected President, Joseph Aoun, has summoned International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam, designating him as the country's prime minister after securing support from over half of the parliament members. This Monday's announcement reflects a weakening of Hezbollah's position in Lebanon, after the group had hoped for caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to remain in office, following a devastating war with Israel and the overthrow of their ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria last month.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, the Lebanese capital, stated that Salam's appointment "symbolizes a new era in Lebanese politics." She said, "Salam is a newcomer to politics, but he has years of international experience, having served as a UN ambassador." She added, "He is highly respected as a judge, lawyer, and diplomat."

Khodr also stated, "Salam symbolizes change. He was chosen by opposition and independent members of parliament who are pushing for a new political order, as he is not part of the political class that has ruled the country for decades and is accused of mismanagement and corruption." The election of army chief General Aoun as head of state last week, with US backing, also signals a shift in Lebanon's sectarian political landscape, where Hezbollah has long held decisive influence. His election ended a two-year power vacuum and has renewed hopes of rescuing war-ravaged Lebanon from its economic crisis.

The Eastern Mediterranean nation has been governed by a caretaker government since November 2022. Aoun, a Maronite Christian, held consultations with the parliament's 128 members on Monday regarding the prime minister's position. As of Monday afternoon, Salam had secured the support of 78 members, while only 9 members supported Mikati. According to Lebanon's power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.

Salam's supporters argue that the judge and former ambassador is an impartial figure capable of implementing much-needed reforms—a contrast to Mikati, who critics view as influenced by Hezbollah. MP George Adwan of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, after meeting with Aoun and supporting Salam, said that it is now time for Hezbollah to focus on "political work." "The era of weapons is over," Adwan told reporters. Hezbollah was severely weakened by a brutal war with Israel this fall.

Under a ceasefire agreement, the group must withdraw its fighters from southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, where the national army, until last week under Aoun's command, and UN peacekeepers will be deployed. Hezbollah also lost a key ally in neighboring Syria last month when rebels overthrew Assad. Senior Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad said that opponents of the Iranian-backed group were trying to divide it and exclude it from power in Lebanon. Speaking at the presidential palace after Hezbollah MPs met with Aoun, Raad said his group had "extended its hand" by helping ensure Lebanon's presidential election last week, only to find "the hand was cut off."