Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed Monday that in the "coming months," Lebanese citizens will begin to see the impact of government reforms and improved services. He pledged to prioritize issues that directly affect daily life.

Speaking from Dar al-Fatwa, where he met with Grand Mufti Abdellatif Deriane at the start of Ramadan, Salam said his administration's foundation is to "strengthen the concept of the state and its institutions." He added, "In the coming months, citizens will experience a new level of performance in government services, and our primary concern will be the well-being of the Lebanese people." He also reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to maintaining good relations with Arab nations.

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Appointments and Islamist detainees

Salam said his government will focus on key issues, including water and electricity supply, infrastructure, and the fate of depositors' frozen bank funds. He pledged to address these matters "fairly" and to appoint the "most competent people possible" to vacant civil service positions. After more than two years without a president, most first-category civil service posts remain unfilled, making appointments a priority for the new government, which was formed on Feb. 8.

Salam also addressed the long-standing issue of Islamist detainees, whose families have been demanding an amnesty law. "Justice must take its course so that offenders are punished and others are released," he said, noting that some detainees have been held for longer than the maximum sentence they could receive if convicted.

The issue of Islamist prisoners — many of whom, according to their families, have been detained "unjustly" for years — has resurfaced amid ongoing instability in Syria. According to Interior Ministry figures obtained by L’Orient-Le Jour, 50 percent of Lebanon’s detainees have not yet been tried, with the rate rising to 55 percent for Islamist prisoners.

Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon

Salam also stressed that his government would "mobilize all its relations, both in the Arab world and within the international community, to pressure the Israeli enemy to withdraw from all Lebanese territory up to the international borders established by the armistice agreement."

Despite the expiration of a cease-fire implementation deadline between Lebanon and Israel on Feb. 18 — after an initial extension — Israel has yet to withdraw from all of South Lebanon as required. The Israeli military continues to occupy at least five positions it deems "strategic" along the border.

For his part, Mufti Deriane wished Salam and his government success in their responsibilities. Later in the day, he also received Salam’s predecessor, Najib Mikati, at Dar al-Fatwa.