Nawaf Salam's government began an extraordinary Cabinet meeting Monday at 10 a.m. at the Grand Serail to discuss the mechanism for administrative appointments. Many key positions in Lebanon are held on an interim basis after more than two years of presidential vacancy.

Among the high-ranking positions to be filled are the governorship of the Banque du Liban, currently held on an interim basis by Wassim Manssouri since Riad Salameh’s term ended in 2023, and the board of directors of Télé Liban, the country’s only public television channel.

Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Rajji and Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed, who are abroad, did not attend the meeting.

During the government's first Cabinet meeting, the prime minister announced plans to establish a "transparent mechanism" for upcoming appointments and to form "organizational committees with the Ministry of Administrative Reform and the Civil Service Board." Administrative appointments in Lebanon are typically based on sectarian and political quotas.

Information Minister Paul Morcos stressed in an interview with the daily Nida' al-Watan the “need to establish clear criteria and a specific selection mechanism,” noting that “it may take more than one meeting to reach the final process.”

According to the daily Al-Joumhouria, the government is considering several approaches to the appointment mechanism. One proposal would have the Civil Service Board announce vacant positions in public administrations, review five applications for each, and submit them to the relevant minister, who could make changes before presenting a list of at least three candidates per position to the Cabinet.

Another approach, for autonomous institutions, would have the relevant minister submit the applications directly to the Cabinet. A third option involves cooperation between the minister of administrative development, the overseeing minister, and the Civil Service Board before submitting nominations to the government.

Finally, regarding appointments in institutions such as Télé Liban, a fourth approach would follow the same process as security appointments.

Last Thursday, the government made military and security appointments through a compromise between President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. General Rodolph Haykal was appointed army chief, while General Raed Abdallah, a Sunni backed by Aoun, replaced General Imad Osman as head of the Internal Security Forces. General Hassan Choucair took over General Security, and General Edgard Lawandos was named director general of State Security.