BEIRUT – Before the end of the 60-day ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, and a week after Judge Nawaf Salam was appointed to form a new cabinet, meetings with parliamentary blocs intensified to clear any obstacles. One of these is the Lebanese Armed Forces ceasefire agreement. Stick to the monopoly of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy.
Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Armed Forces (4 ministries), also reportedly sent MP Merhem Riachi to meet Prime Minister-designate Nawaz Salam and learn details of the cabinet line-up.
Mr. Salam conveyed to Mr. Riaci his determination to strengthen relations with National Assembly Speaker Navi Berri, prioritizing a bright future and the national interest above all else.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Aoun has given “veto powers” to appointees to the sovereign cabinet of foreign affairs, defense and interior affairs, despite announcing that he is not seeking any ministerial positions for his team. I am claiming that.
Sources say the next prime minister is in talks with potential candidates for cabinet positions. They say he aims to form a “technopolitical” cabinet.
As Salam insists that he will not exclude any political interests, he plans to appoint representatives of these factions to his cabinet with the following conditions: (1) does not hold a senior position in these factions; (2) sign a pledge not to run in future parliamentary elections;
Given that the Ministry of Interior is of Sunni stock, there are deep opinions among Sunni figures in this regard, especially since the Minister of Interior will be overseeing the next parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2026. There is a difference.
Salam did not promise to appoint a Shiite figure other than the Hezbollah-Amal duo, but he also had no contact with any of the so-called “Shia rebels” who saw an opportunity to gain a foothold in the government. . But after the two meetings that brought them together with Salam, their U.S.-inspired dreams faded.
The prime minister-elect also met with Mohammad Raad, head of the Loyal to the Resistance bloc. Hussein Khalil, political aide to Hezbollah Secretary-General, and Ali Hassan Khalil, a member of parliament representing the Amal Movement.
During the two meetings, Salam spoke at length about Lebanon’s political system since its independence from French occupation in the early 1950s, up to the Taif Agreement that ended the 1975-1990 civil war, and denied any political element. He emphasized his view that it should not be excluded.
They expressed opposition to the violations that accompanied his nomination, but demonstrated a willingness to overcome them to protect Lebanon’s interests at this critical time.
They called for the establishment of key service ministries, such as the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Health, in addition to the Ministry of Finance, and expressed their full readiness to work with Salam.
On the other hand, knowing that this duo’s priority is the governance structure and addressing the government’s urgent challenges, will they suggest the names of the five ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister? It is unclear whether the opposite is true. Next phase.
Since the signing of the Taif Agreement, successive governments have made it a priority to clearly state in ministerial statements the Lebanese people’s right to resist and liberate occupied territory. Therefore, one of their priorities is to define the legitimacy of the resistance movement in the current ministerial statement.
In light of the anti-Hezbollah team’s biased interpretation of UN Resolution 1701, the two announced President Joseph Aoun’s government’s commitment to conducting a comprehensive national dialogue on the resistance movement’s weapons in line with the general national defense strategy. We are looking forward to a ministerial statement on this matter.