Lebanese parliament selects ICJ president Nawaf Salam as new prime minister

Nawaf Salam previously served as Lebanon's envoy to the UN, and oversaw the hearings against Israel submitted by South Africa in the International Court of Justice over the war in Gaza

Ariel Oseran
Ariel Oseran ■ Middle East Correspondent, i24NEWS English Channel ■ 
1 min read
1 min read
Presiding Judge Nawaf Salam reads the ruling in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands
Presiding Judge Nawaf Salam reads the ruling in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis

International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam was selected as the new prime miniser of Lebanon on Monday.

New President Joseph Aoun will need to formally appoint him, with his arrival expected in Beirut on Tuesday.

Salam received 78 votes out of 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament, according to Lebanese media. He beat out the incumbent, Interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who received a fraction of the votes that Salam did.

According to Lebanon's constitution, the president must be a Christian, while the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim. The parliament speaker, meanwhile, must be a Shi'ite Muslim.

Salam presided over the court hearings in the ICJ called by South Africa against Israel last year, which alleged that Israel was perpetrating a genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, Salam served as Lebanon's ambassador to the United Nations.

This article received 0 comments

Comments