Government formation: Can Salam assert his prerogatives against party power struggles?

Will Lebanon's next government formation be led by designated Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun, or will it be dictated by political parties? On Wednesday, both leaders raised their voices, advocating for an independent government that addresses the aspirations for change for a nation exhausted by years of crisis."The country is composed of confessions that must be represented, but through elites with decision-making independence, without being tied by partisan or other authority," said Aoun. Meanwhile, Salam criticized the so-called "national unity government of 30 ministers," deeming it effectively a "government of paralysis, a reduced [form of] Parliament." This has been especially true since the Doha Agreement of 2008, which, while preventing civil war, allowed political parties to...