Lebanon President Joseph Aoun starts consultations for PM selection

Joseph Aoun, the new president of Lebanon, has started conducting binding consultations with parliamentarians to choose a prime minister.

Aoun’s consultations got under way at 8: 15am (06: 15 GMT) on Monday with a meeting with Elias Abu Saab, the deputy parliament speaker, according to the official National News Agency.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is backed by the Hezbollah-led alliance, and Nawaf Salam, a favourite of anti-Hezbollah legislators who is the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, are seen as the frontrunners.

Following international pressure to form a government that was desperately needed to address major challenges, Aoun’s election last week was followed by the consultations.

Lebanon, which had been in its interim form since October 2022, was led by a caretaker government in the midst of a devastating economic crisis, which was made worse by the Hezbollah-led uprising.

By the end of the day, the parliamentary consultations’ conclusions are anticipated. Once the prime minister is selected, it is their job to form a new government, a process that could take months.

“The newly elected President Aoun said that he hopes the next prime minister will be a partner and not an opponent”, said Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Lebanese capital, Beirut. “A man who has the support of the international community, and a man who is ready to carry out much-needed reforms”.

Big challenges

Lebanon has a unique power-sharing system, designed to balance power among the nation’s different communities.

The president, who must be a Maronite Christian, serves as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim and be in charge of the executive branch, which is contrary to the president’s.

The speaker of parliament, who leads parliamentary debates as well as playing the role of political mediator, has to be a Shia Muslim.

Mikati, one of the nation’s richest men, has remained in charge of the nation’s affairs throughout the presidency.

On the day of the election, Mikati declared that he would “if necessary” serve Lebanon.

However, Hezbollah’s opponents see Mikati as part of an old political system that the group has within its grip.

In the midst of Lebanon’s worst economic crisis in its history, who will be in charge of the new government will face significant challenges, including implementing reforms to satisfy international donors.

The Lebanese armed group’s disarmament issue, which includes the thorny issue of disarming the country, will also be a challenge for them.