Nawaf Salam Begins Forming His New Lebanese Government
January 15, 2025, 1:20 pm

Nawaf Salam Begins Forming His New Lebanese Government

نواف سلام

Judge Nawaf Salam, tasked with forming the new Lebanese government, began today, Wednesday, non-binding parliamentary consultations for government formation, which will last for two days at the Parliament.

In this context, Salam is meeting with parliamentary blocs today, while tomorrow is reserved for independent deputies. He initiated the consultations with a meeting with Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, as Speaker Nabih Berri was absent, expressing his dissatisfaction with this process, which confirmed that he and his parliamentary bloc (Development and Liberation) and the Hezbollah bloc (Loyalty to the Resistance) would not attend the meetings.

After the meeting, Bou Saab stated that "communication between Berri and Salam is ongoing," assuring that the phase is moving in the right direction to resolve the crisis. He also pointed out the need to clarify some matters, emphasizing that President Salam is open to all parties and has no intention of excluding anyone, but he bears the responsibility for change while maintaining balance.

On the other hand, Qassem Hashem, a member of the "Development and Liberation" parliamentary bloc, reported that the two blocs, "Development and Liberation" and "Loyalty to the Resistance," would not participate in the non-binding parliamentary consultations, clarifying that this does not mean a boycott of the government or the designated President Nawaf Salam. Hashem considered that "the position of the two blocs is a principled political stance to express objection to the agreed-upon imbalance regarding the assignment."

He added that "the boycott came based on a comprehensive assessment of previous developments, even though this type of consultation is not binding." He reaffirmed their principled objection but stressed their determination to work with all parties to extricate Lebanon from its crises and fulfill the aspirations of the Lebanese people.

It is noteworthy that after the government is formed, the President of the Republic issues a decree for the formation of the government in agreement with the Prime Minister. Nawaf Salam has confirmed in his statements that he is "not one who excludes others but rather one of unity and national partnership," calling for the need to extend the authority of the Lebanese state over all its territory and to build a productive economy that ensures job opportunities for future generations.

It is also mentioned that President General Joseph Aoun tasked Judge Nawaf Salam with forming a new government after the completion of the binding parliamentary consultations, where Salam received 84 votes out of 128 deputies.

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