President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Illustrations by Jaimee Lee Haddad.
In Lebanon, appointments to top state positions are a whole lot more than just administrative decisions — they’re part of a high-stakes political game. Each vacancy kicks off long negotiations, not just over who gets the job, but also which community and political camp gain more power. Here’s a quick breakdown of how appointments work, and how power is divided in Lebanon.
1.What are the top jobs that need filling in Lebanon?
Lebanon’s state-level appointments fall into several key sectors — administrative, security, financial, judicial and diplomatic. These are all considered Grade 1 civil servant positions, meaning they hold serious weight in the country’s power structure.
a) Administrative appointments: leadership roles in ministries and state institutions like Director-Generals of social security, customs, civil aviation, and more.
b) Security and military appointments: Army Chief, Internal Security (ISF) Chief, General Security Director and State Security Director.
c) Financial appointments: Governor of Banque du Liban (BDL), Lebanon’s central bank; members of the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon (BCCL), Capital Market Authority, BDL’s Special Investigation Commission and the Government Commissioner at BDL.
d) Judicial appointments: The top prosecutor, financial prosecutor, head of the Higher Judicial Council, among others.
e) Diplomatic appointments: Ambassadors to major capitals and heads of diplomatic missions.
2. So, how does it really work??
It’s a mix of law and political maneuvering.
Legally, ministers propose candidates for Grade 1 positions and the Cabinet approves them after (long) negotiations between the prime minister, president and parliament speaker.
In reality, appointments are usually organized to keep Lebanon’s sectarian balance in check. But, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has promised to prioritize merit — serving all religious communities, not just their leaders. He’s also promised to create a committee to review the candidates.
3. Who gets what?
Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system divides top jobs by sect to maintain a fragile balance. The Taif Agreement, which ended the 1975-90 Civil War, set the rules — splitting key positions between Muslims and Christians.
For example:
- Army chief and central bank governor: Maronite Christian.
- Head of General Security: Shiite Muslim.
- ISF chief: Sunni Muslim.
- State Security Director: Greek Catholic.