Lebanon’s Parliament elected Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday, January 9, ending more than two years of presidential vacuum. Today, the country’s different political blocs are deliberating their choices for the Prime Minister position as part of the parliamentary consultations.
The most prominent options at the moment are Lebanese international diplomat, jurist and President of the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Member of Parliament (MP) Fouad Makhzoumi was one of the options discussed by Lebanon’s opposition in the last few days. Makhzoumi, however, announced his withdrawal from the race early today.
The withdrawal of Makhzoumi presented a relief for many who were concerned about the votes being split between him and Salam, with the eventual outcome being the victory of Mikati.
On his part, pro-change MP Ibrahim Mneimneh also briefly announced his readiness to assume PM responsibilities, before withdrawing from the race shortly after and announcing his support for Salam.
According to Mneimneh and many others within Lebanon’s pro-change camp, the choice of Prime Minister should reflect the oath speech made by newly elected president Joseph Aoun. The speech focused on building a sovereign state and rule of law, where functional state institutions and prosperity should thrive.
A Tight Race
For many, Mikati represents a continuation of the previous political line of governance, which for the past few years has been dominated by Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and allied political parties. Accordingly, Mikati has so far received the support of the MPs of these political parties and affiliated ones.
Salam, on the other hand, would represent a new form of political governance, one that many hoped would bring forth functional state institutions and rule of law.
Salam has so far received the support of pro-change MPs, including Mneimneh, the Strong Republic Bloc which includes MPs of the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb party MPs.
The race would be decided by a number of MPs that do not have a clear political positioning yet. This includes the Democratic Gathering bloc, which is composed of MPs of the Progressive Socialist Party.
Early reports suggest that the Democratic Gathering will support Salam, but this remains unconfirmed.
Another major bloc whose decision will have a considerable impact on the race is the Strong Lebanon bloc, the parliamentary bloc of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). While traditionally aligned with Hezbollah during the last two decades, the FPM has been inconsistent in its political positions during the last year.
Leader of the party Gebran Bassil has spoken out against Hezbollah multiple times, accusing them of “dragging Lebanon into war with Israel.”
Independent MP from the Saida District, Oussama Saad, has reportedly voiced his support for Salam. MP Elias Jradeh has also reportedly voiced his support for Salam.
The next few hours remain crucial for questions on who will be Lebanon’s next Prime Minister, and what type of government the country will have. Between the three major positions in the Lebanese state (Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and President), many consider the Prime Minister post to be the most important as it coordinates the state’s executive decisions.
With Members of Parliament arriving to the parliamentary consultations in Beirut, a tracker by AlJadeed has so far counted the support of 12 MPs for Salam, seven for Mikati and two blank.