Lebanon's fractured parliament appointed Nawaf Salam as prime minister on Monday, handing political power to a prominent diplomat and international lawyer as Lebanon emerges from a devastating war and struggles to recover from a severe economic collapse.
Mr Salam was backed by a majority of lawmakers in the country's 128-seat parliament on Monday, after which newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked him to form a government. Mr. Salam currently serves as the head of the International Court of Justice, the highest court of the United Nations, and previously served as Lebanon's ambassador to the United Nations.
Mr. Salam's election was seen as a major political blow to Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group and political party that has served as the real power in Lebanon for decades. During this period, almost no important political decision could be made without Hezbollah's support.
But Monday's vote rebuked that status quo, elevating Mr. Salam, whom Hezbollah opposed, in a stunning defeat for a Hezbollah-backed candidate. For many, it underscored Lebanon's new political reality: since emerging from a 14-month war with Israel, Hezbollah no longer has an iron, unshakable grip on the Lebanese state.
Israel in just two months killed the top leaders of the group. The war caused billions of dollars in damage across the country. Hezbollah also lost its main ally in neighboring Syria, dictator Bashar al-Assad. overthrown by the rebels last month. And his guardian, Iran is now on the back foot after the anti-Israeli militia network was uncovered. According to analysts, these events opened a new political page in Lebanon.
“The whole political dynamic has changed,” said Sami Nader, director of the Institute of Political Science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. “It's a complete breakdown of the old way of doing things.”
The Lebanese state consists of numerous factions and sects competing for power and influence. It has been ruled by a weak and ineffective caretaker government for years. Hezbollah was both part of this government and the dominant political and military force, effectively leading almost all of the country's major decisions.
In recent days, Lebanon's shifting political sands have been laid bare by a flurry of political events. He emphasized how much political ground Hezbollah has lost.
Last week, Lebanon's parliament elected Mr. Aoun as the country's new president, ending more than two years of political gridlock that critics blamed on Hezbollah. Then on Monday, Mr. Salam, who Hezbollah has repeatedly blocked from becoming prime minister in recent years, won the support of 85 members of the country's 128-seat parliament. Najib Mikati, the prime minister who resigned, supported by Hezbollah, got only 9 votes. Thirty-five ballots were left blank.
After the vote, a senior Hezbollah lawmaker, Mohammad Raad, told reporters at a press conference that Hezbollah had “stretched out a hand” by supporting Mr. Aoun's election, and according to local media, its hand was “cut off” on Monday. reports.
According to analysts, the new government in Lebanon also reflects the realignment of power dynamics in the Middle East. They say that the era of Iranian domination over Lebanon is over and an opening has been created for it Gulf countries Lebanon had unsuccessfully fought against Iran for years.
Saudi Arabia and Western countries have thrown their support behind Mr. Salam and Mr. Aoun, and many in Lebanon hope that the new government they lead will bring an influx of funds from those countries as they grapple with a billion-dollar reconstruction bill from Lebanon. War between Hezbollah and Israel.
“Arab countries are on board, Lebanon is likely to be readmitted to the Arab family,” Mr. Nader said. “It's an incredible change. You can feel that Iran is weakening.”