Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has stated that an agreement among lawmakers on a prime minister would pave the way for Lebanon to embark on a fresh chapter in addressing the multitude of issues that have plagued the country for years.
New Lebanese President Joseph Aoun commenced parliamentary consultations on Monday to appoint a prime minister tasked with forming a government urgently needed to tackle the severe challenges facing the crisis-stricken nation.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Nawaf Salam, a favoured candidate among anti-Hezbollah lawmakers and the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, have emerged as the leading contenders for the post.
The first round of talks concluded shortly before midday, with 12 independent MPs endorsing Salam, seven backing Mikati, and two abstaining from supporting either candidate. Aoun was then scheduled to meet with the main parliamentary blocs later in the afternoon.
The consultations, a constitutional obligation, follow Aoun’s election last week amidst international pressure—particularly from the United States and Saudi Arabia—for swift progress in Lebanon’s political landscape.
The eastern Mediterranean nation had been without a president since October 2022, governed by a caretaker administration amid a crushing economic crisis exacerbated by a full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing framework, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the parliamentary speaker a Shiite Muslim.
Salam’s supporters view him as an impartial figure capable of implementing vital reforms, contrasting sharply with Mikati, whom they associate with an entrenched political establishment dominated by the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Independent lawmaker Melhem Khalaf stated that his endorsement of Salam was motivated by a desire to see someone outside the traditional political class bring about meaningful “change.” Fellow independent MP Firas Hamdan, who also supported Salam, framed the choice as one between “impunity and international justice, between corruption and clean governance.”
The consultations come in the wake of Hezbollah’s weakened position following its costly war with Israel, which ended on 27 November, and the loss of a key ally when Islamist-led rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month.
Saudi Arabia and the United States have been instrumental in pushing for an end to Lebanon’s presidential vacuum, re-engaging in the country’s politics after years of disengagement due to Hezbollah’s influence.
A source close to Hezbollah revealed to AFP that both the group and powerful parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement are backing Mikati. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, claimed Mikati’s re-designation is part of an agreement with Saudi Arabia that facilitated Hezbollah and Amal’s support for Aoun’s presidency.
Riyadh has renewed its involvement in Lebanese politics after previously distancing itself in protest against Hezbollah’s dominance.
Mikati, one of Lebanon’s wealthiest individuals, has already formed three governments and enjoys good relations with political factions and foreign nations. However, he has denied the existence of any prearranged deal regarding his reappointment.
