Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam concluded his second and final day of non-binding parliamentary consultations. He left Parliament without making a statement.
MP Yassine Yassine, after his discussion with Salam: “We talked about previous budgets that were not adopted on time, the independence of the judiciary, health and education services, infrastructure, electricity and the political reform of institutions.”
Firas Hamdan, an opposition MP, speaking after his meeting with Salam, said they had discussed “the importance of implementing the cease-fire agreement, the return of Southerners to their land and the need to rebuild.”
“The prime minister-designate expressed the state's duty to work with all parties involved in reconstruction,” he added. "My dream, as a young person, is that the government will be formed outside the political class.”
“We are enthusiastic about rebuilding the country and have rejected the logic of quotas and guarantees. Our only guarantee is the Constitution and the Lebanese people,” he said.
Following her meeting with newly appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Halime Kaakour, MP for the so-called opposition bloc, said, “We affirmed our support for his mandate and the speech he made, and we are committed to helping him implement it.”
Melhem Khalaf, Protest MP, said after his meeting with the prime minister-elect that "the formation of the government must be a continuation of the process of restoring national legitimacy."
"This government must reinvigorate democracy and restore confidence in a state that is capable, just, protective and unifying for all its citizens," he added, emphasizing that "we cannot return to a period marked by boycotting institutions and authorities."
On the sidelines of the nonbinding consultations and speaking at a funeral ceremony in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam (Marjayoun), Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad addressed the Amal-Hezbollah Shiite blocs' boycott of Prime Minister-elect Nawaf Salam's non-binding parliamentary consultations on Wednesday and Thursday.
He denied that the two parties were "against the building of the rule of law and the country's entry into a new era." On the contrary, he emphasized, "Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem was the first, in the midst of the war, to call for reforms, and Hezbollah has frequently expressed its support for a dialogue that would address all controversial issues."
However, Fayad continued, "The Shiite tandem's [Hezbollah-Amal alliance] stance on the parliamentary consultations stemmed from an agreement that had been reached but not respected, starting with the election of Joseph Aoun to the presidency and ending with the appointment of a prime minister." He argued that the "sudden turnaround" in the prime minister's appointment was evidence that some were attempting to impose "a logic of winner and loser."
"We refuse to treat the Shiite community as if it had been defeated," he insisted, emphasizing that this had nothing to do with the prime minister's personal character, whose "Arabist and pro-Palestinian history is well known."
The MP from the protests, Cynthia Zarazir, said she had stressed the need for the new government to fight corruption, to help strengthen the judiciary and supervisory authorities, and to propose a clear vision of the structuring of banks as well as the return of depositors' money.
Ibrahim Mneimneh, an elected MP from Beirut, said after his meeting that he considered that the priority was to entrust key ministries to competent people and to take into account representativeness in the allocation of other ministries.
He assured that he had full confidence in the ability of the prime minister-elect to carry out this task.
MP Paula Yacoubian, from civil society, was the first to meet with the prime minister-elect during the second phase of the second day of non-binding parliamentary consultations for the formation of a government.
At the end of the meeting, she rejected the notion that foreign powers had influenced Nawaf Salam's appointment, asserting that it better aligned with the popular will. She also urged the Shiite blocs to end their boycott, highlighting Salam's strong stance on Israeli crimes during his time as a judge at the International Court of Justice.
Two days after Nawaf Salam was appointed prime minister over Najib Mikati, the two parties (Amal and Hezbollah) forming the Shiite majority bloc boycotted the non-binding parliamentary consultations on Wednesday.
While boycotting parliamentary consultations, the Hezbollah-Amal tandem asserts that their support is essential for the cabinet's legitimacy under the National Pact. But what does the Constitution say? To find out, press here to read Salah Hijazi's article.👈
Non-binding parliamentary consultations are expected to resume at 3:30 p.m
Prime Minister-elect Nawaf Salam announced the conclusion of the first phase of the second day of non-binding parliamentary consultations, during which he met with 10 MPs.
Ihab Matar, an independent MP from Tripoli, said after his meeting that he had no specific demands for the formation of the government, but that he hoped that the government would pay more attention to the north of the country.
Independent MP for Jezzine Charbel Massaad said he had told the prime minister-elect that the formation of the government was the "foundation" of the country's recovery.
He emphasized that priority should be given to improving the living conditions of the Lebanese, particularly in education and healthcare. He also stressed the importance of providing young people with reasons to return to Lebanon.
On the sidelines of the parliamentary consultations, President Joseph Aoun received Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi at Baabda Palace.
Safadi congratulated the newly elected president on his election on Jan. 9 and assured that Jordan would continue to support the Lebanese Army. He also reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to supporting the reconstruction of Lebanon, which has been heavily affected by Israeli bombings.
Democratic Rally bloc MP Ghassan Skaff made a brief speech in Parliament, calling for the ministerial declaration to reflect the strong reform commitments made since the election of Joseph Aoun as president.
Prime Minister-elect Nawaf Salam is expected to visit Baabda later today to brief President Joseph Aoun on the progress of the consultations. According to local channel LBCI, no timetable has been provided yet.
Zahle MP Michel Daher said he had urged the prime minister-elect Nawaf Salam to make the country's priority "building a state" to stop the flight of Lebanese youth from the country and resolve the issue of the return of deposits, held up in banks after the 2019 economic crisis.
"For there to be confidence, there must be clear indications that the deposits will be returned ... As soon as confidence is restored, the country will move forward again," he said, adding that the Lebanese diaspora had the resources to finance the country's recovery but needed assurances that their money would not be misused.
He addressed Parliament Speaker and Amal Movement leader Nabih Berri, telling him that there was room for everyone in the government. "No one has won, no one has lost," he said, emphasizing that all Lebanese political and confessional groups should be represented.
Denniyeh MP Jihad Samad began his speech by congratulating the people of Gaza following the announcement of the truce agreement on Wednesday night.
Regarding the formation of the government, he called for an "extra-parliamentary" government of 14 members that would ensure Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied by the Israeli army, address the issue of illegal Syrian immigration, and tackle other key issues.
"No one has a problem with the person of the prime minister ... but the way in which the agreements were reversed on the sidelines of his appointment," was an issue, he said, justifying the boycott by the Shiite alliance.
In parliament, the MP for Saida Abdel Rahman al-Bizri, who also took part in this second day of non-binding parliamentary consultations, called on "all parties to show respect for the law and the Constitution," considering that the appointment of Nawaf Salam reflected "the popular mood in favor of new faces."
(Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient Today)
Judge Nawaf Salam's appointment as Lebanon's next prime minister has been met with apparent support in Tripoli, the country's second-largest city.
According to our correspondent in northern Lebanon, large posters have been displayed along the North Lebanon highway, at the Bahsas entrance to Tripoli, with the message: "From international justice to local justice, yes to a government of justice, equality, development and reconstruction." Other posters read: "The government of Lebanon's reconstruction and state-building."
On the sidelines of the consultations, Lebanese Grand Mufti Abdel Latif Derian announced that he had called Prime Minister-elect Nawaf Salam on Thursday to congratulate him on his appointment as head of the next government.
"Dar al-Fatwa supports and approves the deputies' choice of Judge Salam, a decision that reflects the hopes and aspirations of the Lebanese in building a rule of law and strong institutions. These institutions will be tasked with addressing the crises shaking the country and restoring trust between Lebanon and the Arab nations," the statement from the Mufti's office emphasized.
Nasserist MP for Saida, Osama Saad, the third to meet with Nawaf Salam, called for the formation of a government "capable of protecting Lebanon" and leading the reconstruction of towns and villages devastated by the war, amid the ongoing crises the country has faced in recent years.
He also hoped that the prime minister-elect would succeed in his efforts and form a government capable of addressing the country's challenges.
The second elected official to speak from Parliament today, Beirut independent MP Jean Talouzian, said the country had entered a new "phase" and called for the urgent formation of a government. In a much shorter speech than Jamil al-Sayyed's, he emphasized the need to form a government to "end the collapse of Lebanon."
"Lebanon needs all its children, and all its children need it," he concluded.
After his meeting with the prime minister, Jamil al-Sayyed spoke at length to explain why he deemed the Shiite alliance's boycott legitimate.
He specifically pointed to the problematic conditions surrounding the election of the Lebanese president and the formation of the new government, particularly in light of Israeli violations of the cease-fire that came into effect on Nov. 27 between Israel and Hezbollah. He attributed these violations to an imbalance in the agreement, which he argued was flawed for failing to set a timeline for Israeli withdrawal and for contributing to the "erasure of the resistance."
He added that he had urged the prime minister-elect not to place the country's security or the judiciary under the control of any single party.
Also on the sidelines of the consultations, President Aoun received Druze Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mouna, who was leading a delegation, at the Baabda Presidential Palace.
On the sidelines of the parliamentary meetings, Qatar's ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, delivered an official invitation from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for an official visit to Doha. The ambassador met with President Aoun at Baabda Palace on Thursday.
Joseph Aoun was elected president a week ago, ending over two years of a presidential vacuum prolonged by political tensions. Following the binding parliamentary consultations he convened on Monday, a majority of MPs selected Nawaf Salam to form the new government.
The second day of non-binding parliamentary consultations is underway. Since 10 a.m., the prime minister-elect Nawaf Salam has been in a meeting with Jamil, the Shiite MP representing Baalbeck-Hermel.
Good morning!
Welcome to our live coverage of the second day of non-binding parliamentary consultations in the Lebanese Parliament as part of the efforts to form a new government.
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