Lebanon appoints prime minister to lead new government

Chairman of the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam has been appointed prime minister of Lebanon and will form the country's new government.

"President Joseph Aoun, following consultations with parliamentary factions, has tasked Nawaf Salam with forming the new government of Lebanon," the decree states, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Earlier, Salam received support from 85 out of 128 members of parliament, while his rival, acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati, was supported by only 9 MPs, with the remaining members refraining from endorsing any candidate.

Diplomat and lawyer Nawaf Salam, 71, served as Lebanon's permanent representative to the UN from 2007 to 2017. In 2018, he was elected as a member of the International Court of Justice, and on February 6, 2024, he will become its president. Salam hails from a prominent Beirut aristocratic family; his cousin, Tammam Salam, served as Lebanon's prime minister from 2014 to 2016. 

On the morning of January 13, parliamentary consultations were held at the Presidential Palace in Beirut ahead of the prime minister's appointment. 

Earlier, Lebanon completed its second round of voting for the country's president. General Joseph Aoun emerged victorious, receiving 99 votes from the 128 parliamentarians. Aoun became the 14th president of Lebanon since the country gained independence in 1943.

By Naila Huseynova