Thank you for following our live coverage of the confidence vote. We'll be back when it resumes tomorrow morning.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri suspended the session, which will resume tomorrow at 11 a.m.
MP Yassine Yassine (from the protest movement) expressed his confidence in the new government, and used his speech to call for “a modern electoral law, taking into account the role of women in political decision-making.” “The current electoral law does not reflect the aspirations of the Lebanese,” he declared. He also called on the government to “draw up a rescue plan to return depositors' funds.”
Protestant MP Najat Saliba expressed confidence in the government. “We won't hesitate to question it and hold it to account at every opportunity,” she stressed, however. This government has a rare chance to prove that it is different, and the trust we are placing in it today is just the beginning of a long journey of oversight and accountability.”
Taha Naji, MP for Tripoli, welcomed the ministerial declaration by Nawaf Salam's government, stressing that it “contains positive messages, including the State's commitment to stand by the citizens, meet the expectations of the Lebanese, favor no party over another, respect the criteria of merit and competence and strengthen accountability and transparency.”
He expressed his confidence in the government, wishing it “success.”
“We have decided not to withdraw our confidence from the government and we pledge our continued support for the construction of the state and its institutions,” said Tripoli MP Haidar Nasser in front of his colleagues.
The MP, himself an Alawite, called for “an end to the injustice suffered by the Alawite community through administrative appointments.” “The Alawite community remains excluded from government and high-level positions, and this government has continued this trend,” he added.
“Withdrawal from Israeli occupation is essential, and the notion of national security strategy adopted by the government in its ministerial declaration goes beyond defense strategy, as it is more comprehensive,” asserted Abdel Rahman Bizri.
In its final version, the ministerial declaration stressed that “the defense of Lebanon requires the implementation of a national security strategy on the triple military, diplomatic and economic level.”
After Frem's speech, Saida MP Abdel Rahman Bizri (Independent) took the floor.
MP Neemat Frem (Kesrouan) took the floor after Aoun and announced his confidence in Nawaf Salam's government.
“I have confidence in the government because the ministerial statement reflects hopes for reform and productivity,” he said. I also hope that the government will reconstruct institutions.”
“I'm going to put my trust in the government, but the real challenge is for it to live up to citizens' expectations,” said MP Alain Aoun, insisting on "the need to take advantage of the current conjuncture to carry out reforms, dismantle corruption and eradicate nepotism." He also called on the government to “destroy the existing ‘emirates’ within the State.”
MP Alain Aoun, a former member of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), addresses the Parliament.
“The election of President Joseph Aoun has rekindled the hopes of the Lebanese, and the people felt a sense of relief after his inaugural speech, as well as with the formation of a government without a blocking third party,” said Adwan.
He also asserted that “any reform requires the dismantling of illegal weapons” and that “the state must exercise total control over its borders and infrastructure, otherwise the country's recovery will be delayed.” In this context, he called on Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to draw up “a timetable for the handover of weapons and all military infrastructure to the army.”
The session resumes with an initial statement by MP Georges Adwan (Lebanese Forces).
- The Shiite party called for a “firm stance” from the government on the occupation and said it was ready to “cooperate” with Salam's team.
- The main upheavals in the chamber were linked to the reduced speaking time granted to each deputy, as more than 70 of them asked to speak.
- There was also an altercation between Michel Moawad and Mohammad Raad. While the former had criticized his colleague's speech, accusing him of “spitting on the State” by wanting to keep his weapons, the head of the Hezbollah bloc retorted that he was ready for dialogue, but “not in this showbiz way.”
The main points of the first four hours of debate:
- The first part of this session for the vote of confidence in the government of Nawaf Salam was devoted to speeches by ten MPs, notably the head of Hezbollah's bloc, Mohammad Raad, and the Free Patriotic Current, Gebran Bassil.
- Most of the MPs who spoke raised the issue of defense strategy, the financial reforms needed to achieve reforms and the consequences of the war between Hezbollah and Israel, including the fact that the Israeli army has not yet completely withdrawn from south Lebanon.
- The party demanded a "firm position" from the government in the face of this occupation and said it was ready to "cooperate" with the Salam government.
- The main disturbances observed in the hemicycle were linked to the reduced speaking time granted to each MP, given that more than 70 asked to speak.
- An altercation also took place between Michel Moawad and Mohammad Raad. While the former criticized his colleague's speech, accusing him of "spitting on the state" by wanting to keep his weapons, the leader of the Hezbollah bloc retorted that he was ready for dialogue but "not in this way that is a spectacle."
Berri adjourned the meeting until 6 p.m.
Gebran Bassil, MP for Batroun and head of the Free Patriotic Movement said that "Hezbollah made a strategic mistake when it opened the support front in Gaza."
"Hezbollah lost the national legitimacy that allowed it to fight Israel alone, which led to the term 'resistance' being removed from the ministerial statement," he said.
He also addressed the issue of Syrian migrants and refugees.
"We have presented six bills for the expulsion of displaced persons," he said, while calling for their "immediate return" to Syria. He also called for addressing the issue of weapons in Palestinian camps.
"We completely agree with what was said in the ministerial statement on resolution 1701, the liberation of all lands [occupied by Israel], the monopoly on weapons, decisions relating to war and peace and the defense strategy," said Bassil.
Bassil and the FPM will not give their vote of confidencce to the Salam government, which "does not deserve it."
Bassil criticized Nawaf Salam for the choices made during the formation of the government, from which the FPM was excluded.
"Nawaf Salam did not respect the prior agreement he made with me the day before his appointment, especially regarding the creation of a government of technocrats appointed by the parliamentary blocs, as well as the equitable distribution of the shares granted to Christians," Gebran Bassil stated. "We do not accept that someone makes appointments in our place ... nor the injustice in the representation of Christians. 50 percent of Christian ministers were chosen by forces that are not Christian and the president."
Michel Daher, MP for Zahleh, said he was "happy with the arrival of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam" in power and gave his confidence to the cabinet. He denounced "endemic corruption" and called for a solution to be found to return the "$86 billion of depositors." He also called for the cancellation of banking secrecy in Lebanon and for the government to be given exceptional prerogatives to implement financial reforms.
While his colleague Jamil al-Sayyed demanded more speaking time before Parliament, mentioning that he was also speaking on behalf of two other MPs, Michel al-Murr and Jean Talouzian, the latter denied that Sayyed spoke on his behalf.
In a short statement, he stressed that he had "not mandated anyone to speak on my behalf."
Sayyed "absolutely does not represent me," he added.
(Credit: Hassan Ibrahim/Lebanese Parliament)
Zgharta MP Michel Moawad also gave his confidence to the cabinet while reaching out to Hezbollah "to build a state and a nation for all Lebanese." In a speech in which he directly addressed the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, Moawad said he "rejects a state subjected to weapons and sectarian blackmail. "
"I do not understand why Hezbollah wants the Lebanese army to deploy south of the Litani while negotiating to keep its weapons north of the Litani ... We cannot continue in this way, we cannot want the state and at the same time spit on it," said the MP, while calling on the party to "return to the fold of the state, otherwise we risk destroying the country again."
(Credit: Hassan Ibrahim/Lebanese Parliament)
Bsharri MP Sethrida Geagea said that the Lebanese Forces will give their confidence to the government, especially in the absence of a blocking third party and because the cabinet is "techno-political."
"The [president's] inauguration speech and the ministerial statement represent the aspirations of the LF," Geagea said.
She called for "decisions on war and peace to be taken by the government, through the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701."
The MP also demanded that justice be done in the case of the explosion at the port of Beirut.
Baalbeck-Hermel MP Jamil Sayyed denounced Israeli violations of the cease-fire that "destroy the morale of the Lebanese army." The new government must "preserve the rights and unity of Lebanon and address violations of the ceasefire agreement," Sayyed said.
He also criticized Israel's interpretation of the cease-fire, "considering that it can carry out preemptive attacks in Lebanon, which is humiliating for UNIFIL and the Lebanese army," he added.
He further criticized the fact that the ministerial declaration does not contain "clear plans" to implement the reforms to which it is committed.
MP Hadi Abou al-Hosn (Progressive Socialist Party) said that his party will place its trust in the government. He welcomed the ministerial statement "which is consistent with our national and reform aspirations that we had announced as a party and parliamentary bloc."
"We welcome ... what was said in Baabda on the implementation of 1701," he said.
The MP also aligned himself with Nawaf Salam's remarks regarding the maintenance of the cease-fire and the monopoly of weapons in the hands of the state. Abou al-Hosn called for diplomatic efforts to force Israel to completely withdraw from south Lebanon and to work on an overhaul of the country's financial and economic sector.
“We call for dialogue between Lebanon and Syria, increased security at crossing points between the two countries and a plan for the return of displaced people,” he added.
The head of the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, visibly very upset at the beginning of his speech, said that "the last war against Lebanon was a well-studied aggression." "The enemy decided [to start this war] after having benefited from unprecedented American support which gave it the opportunity to try to get rid of Hezbollah," he said. He also called on the Lebanese authorities to authorize the landing of Iranian planes in Beirut again.
"We will go beyond what has been said about the formation of the government and we will cooperate with the cabinet," said Raad, who called for not delaying the organization of the next legislative elections, scheduled for spring 2026. He also assured that his party wants to cooperate to preserve the country.
"The resistance is recovering rapidly, except for the pain of Sayyed Nasrallah's martyrdom," Raad added. He called for "a firm stance" from the authorities in the face of the "refusal of the (Israeli) occupier to withdraw completely " from the regions it continues to occupy in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah opened a "support front" for Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas' unprecedented attack, which ultimately escalated into a full-scale war after Israel's pager and walkie-talkie bombings and massive countrywide air offensive.
"For the first time, we have a government led by a man who has never taken part in the transactions [operated by the political class]," said Beirut MP Paula Yaacoubian, who gave her confidence to the cabinet.
She called for restructuring the banking sector, an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and preserving the rights of depositors. She also wondered "where the money for reconstruction will come from," while recalling that the cost is estimated at between $8 billion and $12 billion.
She also called for the removal of illegal weapons.
"Lebanon is tired of waging other people's wars," she said.
In his speech, MP and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab called for amending the current electoral law. He also called for a national dialogue on the issue of defense and the state's monopoly on weapons. He also addressed reconstruction after the destruction wrought by Israel and called on the state to assume its responsibilities in this area.
Bou Saab said he would give his confidence to the government.
After Nawaf Salam finished reading the ministerial statement, Nabih Berri announced that more than 70 MPs wanted to speak. He announced that the speaking time of each would be shortened, to allow everyone to speak, which caused confusion among the MPs.
Salam: The state must improve the telecommunications sector and implement laws regarding maritime and river real estate. We will also resume oil and gas drilling.
Nawaf Salam: We reject the settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon and support their right to return to their lands, as well as the right of the Lebanese state to exercise its sovereignty everywhere, including in the Palestinian camps.
Nawaf Salam: Lebanon must be kept away from conflicts and care must be taken to ensure that it is not used as a platform to attack Arab countries and to hold serious discussions with Syria, particularly regarding the border between the two countries and the issue of displaced Syrians.
Nawaf Salam: We want to strengthen the hospital sector in Lebanon and ensure the supply of medicines, especially for chronic diseases. The government will work on developing health coverage for all, and reforms within the National Social Security Fund.
Nawaf Salam: The government intends to organize municipal and legislative elections on the set dates.
Nawaf Salam: The government will computerize the work of the courts, reform the prisons and work to implement the law on the disappeared. We will also follow up on the case of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and those of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli prisons.
Nawaf Salam: The government wants to revive the Rene Moawad Airport in Qleyaat and develop the Beirut airport and the country's ports.
Nawaf Salam: "The government will discuss a new program with the World Bank, to restore trade and the banking sector ... a plan will be put in place to preserve the rights of depositors and we are committed to combating smuggling."
Salam read the ministerial statement: "The government's primary goals are to re-establish the rule of law, reform institutions and establish sovereignty ... as well as a state that takes charge of the country's security and repels aggressors ... The government is committed to fully respecting 1701."
"The government will take the necessary measures to liberate Lebanese territory from Israeli occupation and strengthen the sovereignty of the state by allowing the army to deploy in the Lebanese border areas. The state will be the sole owner of weapons and the one that makes decisions regarding peace and war. The country needs a national defense strategy and the government must support the legitimate armed forces by increasing their numbers and strengthening their capabilities."
"The state must ensure justice for everyone. Justice must have the confidence of the Lebanese and the world. It will be necessary to strengthen the independence of justice, to immunize it against interference and pressure, and the work of investigators must not be hindered, particularly in the case of the port explosions and the banking sector crisis."
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri opened the session shortly after 11 a.m. After reading the government formation decrees, Nawaf Salam began reading the ministerial statement to the MPs.
To gain confidence, the government must obtain a majority of the votes of the MPs present, which it believes it will receive.
Barely a week after its formation, the Salam cabinet approved, on Feb. 17, its ministerial declaration which, for the first time since the Taif Accords (1989), does not contain any mention of the "resistance," which Hezbollah has used to justify its weapons to fight against Israel. In its text, the new cabinet said that the state should hold the monopoly of weapons in the country and promised to liberate "all the territory" amid the debate on the disarmament of Hezbollah.
For more on the ministerial statement, you can find the details here.
Nawaf Salam's government was formed on Feb. 8, 2025. It is made up of 24 members and brings together figures from many parts of the political spectrum, ranging from the Lebanese Forces (LF) to the Amal-Hezbollah alliance, as well as former figures from previous governments and a few independents.
For more on the make up of the government, read the story here.
Welcome to L'Orient Today's live coverage of Parliament's vote of confidence for the newly formed Nawaf Salam government.
This first day of the session will be devoted to the positions taken by MPs before moving on to the vote tomorrow.
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