Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking at Baabda Palace, Jan. 14, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The boycott of non-binding parliamentary consultations by the Shiite alliance (Amal and Hezbollah) sends a clear message to the designated prime minister: their participation in the government is not guaranteed and will not come at just any price. It’s a way to raise the stakes at a time when Hezbollah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri monopolize the parliamentary representation (27 seats) of the Shiite community and thus hold the keys to the 'sectarian legitimacy' of the next government. If these two parties boycott Nawaf Salam's ministerial team — himself designated with an absolute majority but without any Shiite vote — and do not grant it trust, Lebanon would face an unprecedented situation. In the circles of Amal and Hezbollah, which consider themselves the legitimate representatives of the community, it is asserted that a cabinet...
The boycott of non-binding parliamentary consultations by the Shiite alliance (Amal and Hezbollah) sends a clear message to the designated prime minister: their participation in the government is not guaranteed and will not come at just any price. It’s a way to raise the stakes at a time when Hezbollah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri monopolize the parliamentary representation (27 seats) of the Shiite community and thus hold the keys to the 'sectarian legitimacy' of the next government. If these two parties boycott Nawaf Salam's ministerial team — himself designated with an absolute majority but without any Shiite vote — and do not grant it trust, Lebanon would face an unprecedented situation. In the circles of Amal and Hezbollah, which consider themselves the legitimate representatives of the community, it is asserted that a...
