BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun began consultations with lawmakers on Monday on appointing a prime minister in what political sources say is a close race between incumbent President Najib Mikati and International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam.
The appointment of a prime minister is the next step in the formation of a new administration following Aoun’s election to the vacant presidency, reflecting a shift in the balance of power since Hezbollah was battered in last year’s war with Israel and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
Aoun, who enjoys the support of the United States and Saudi Arabia, must appoint the candidate with the most support among the 128 members of parliament.
The outcome is expected to be known by the end of the day.
The prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, which divides government positions based on religious affiliation, with the post of president held by a Maronite Christian.
Mikati is a billionaire businessman who was prime minister four times. Lawmakers from groups including the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its ally, the Shiite Amal movement, are expected to back him to stay in the job, political sources said.
Salam, who has been president of the ICJ since last February and previously served as Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Nations, has the support of factions including the Lebanese Forces Against Hezbollah, a leading Christian party.
The votes of another Christian party, the Free Patriotic Movement led by Gebran Bassil, and Lebanon’s main Druze faction, the Progressive Socialist Party led by the Jumblatt family, are expected to prove decisive.
Ahead of last week’s presidential vote, Saudi Arabia strongly encouraged Aoun’s election, according to Lebanese politicians, marking a resurgence of Saudi influence in Lebanon, which has been overshadowed by Iran and Hezbollah.
But Lebanese political sources said Riyadh had not expressed any inclination to appoint a new prime minister.
US President Joe Biden hailed Aoun’s election last week, saying lawmakers had “chosen a path aligned with peace, security, sovereignty and reconstruction, in partnership with the international community.”
STEPS TO REVIVE YOUR OWN INSTITUTIONS
Aoun’s election and appointment of a new prime minister are steps toward reviving Lebanon’s government institutions, which have been paralyzed for more than two years, with the country having neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet.
The new administration faces tasks including rebuilding areas flattened by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hezbollah and launching long-stalled reforms to revive the economy and address the root causes of the 2019 collapse of Lebanon’s financial system.
In his former role as commander of the US-backed military, Aoun played a key role in implementing the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
The terms call for the Lebanese army to deploy in southern Lebanon while Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw.
