Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, arriving at the Cabinet meeting at the Serail on Aug. 13, 2026. Photo taken from Salam's X account.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is widely regarded as a politician who stands apart from Lebanon’s sectarian political system.Yet over the past two days, some critics have accused him of taking a sectarian stance in his confrontation with Defense Minister Michel Menassah.The dispute took on a confessional dimension amid the controversy surrounding the general amnesty law. Salam opposed allowing Menassah to present the Lebanese Army’s reservations during Parliament’s debate on the bill, which enjoys broad support among Lebanon’s Sunni community.The prime minister defended his decision by arguing that he wanted to avoid fueling tensions between the Sunni community and the army. He also invoked his constitutional prerogatives, saying that only the prime minister is empowered to speak on behalf of the government before Parliament.Salam’s...
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is widely regarded as a politician who stands apart from Lebanon’s sectarian political system.Yet over the past two days, some critics have accused him of taking a sectarian stance in his confrontation with Defense Minister Michel Menassah.The dispute took on a confessional dimension amid the controversy surrounding the general amnesty law. Salam opposed allowing Menassah to present the Lebanese Army’s reservations during Parliament’s debate on the bill, which enjoys broad support among Lebanon’s Sunni community.The prime minister defended his decision by arguing that he wanted to avoid fueling tensions between the Sunni community and the army. He also invoked his constitutional prerogatives, saying that only the prime minister is empowered to speak on behalf of the government before...
Hacking Lebanese Politics #36: Lebanon and the abolition of the death penalty
