Former Lebanese Ambassador to the UN Nawaf Salam. (Credit: Stan Honda/AFP)
BEIRUT — The opposition group party Taqaddom, which includes MPs Mark Daou and Najat Aoun, on Monday morning named Nawaf Salam as its candidate of choice to be named prime minister-designate.
Here’s what we know:
• In a statement the party announced that “Taqaddom names Nawaf Salam as a prime minister” because he has “transparency, integrity and the needed ability to work and confront [the establishment] and he is not involved in the network of quota systems and corruption.” The statement continued, “The party assigned its two MPs to proceed with the discussions with all MPs of change in order to reach one stance, and we call on the independent parties, MPs and blocs to name judge Salam.”
• Salam is the former Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations, and currently a judge at the International Court of Justice.
• Asked whether the decision to name Salam came following coordination with Parliament’s other 11 opposition group MPs, a spokesperson for Taqaddom, Laury Haytayan, told L’Orient Today, “We are an independent party that was formed two years ago and our political committee decided to name Nawaf Salam. We are of course closely coordinating with the other 11 MPs and the political organizations they represent to hopefully have a consensus candidate, hoping it would be Judge Salam.”
• In the statement, Taqaddom also said that after an “exceptional meeting” at which its members discussed naming a new prime minister, the formation of a government and the election of a new president, which is due to take place in October, the party agreed that what needs to happen is “the formation of a one-team-government, that is small, independent and includes specialist politicians, and [that is] active outside the frame of a quota system.”
• The statement also said that the new government should focus on ending the financial collapse through a deal with the International Monetary Fund and a financial rescue plan, the instant implementation of reforms in the electricity sector, the implementation of social welfare programs, in particular health care and old age security, making a full plan for food security, as well as proceeding with the investigation into the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion and handing over all the suspects to the investigation.