Lebanese parliamentary blocs are expected to finalize their stance on naming a president for the upcoming government within hours, ahead of the binding consultations being conducted by President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace this Thursday. Despite current indications favoring caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to lead Aoun's final government, significant blocs are awaiting the position of Sunni MPs or their majority to determine their options, as the Prime Minister represents the prominent Sunni position within the Lebanese system. However, the voices among the Sunni MPs appear fragmented across various potential candidates for this position.
The 27 Sunni MPs are distributed across different parliamentary blocs. Eight of them, allied with the "Shiite duo," have confirmed their support for Mikati: Adnan Traboulsi, Taha Naji (from the Akhwat party), Mohammad Yahya, Jihad al-Samad, Hassan Murad, Melhem al-Hajjar, Yinal al-Solh, and Qassim Hashem. Additionally, it is almost certain that eight other MPs, mostly close to former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, are also inclined to support Mikati, including Mohammad Suleiman, Walid Baarini, Abdulaziz al-Samad, Abdul Karim Kabara, Ahmad al-Khayr, Nabil Badr, Bilal Al-Hachimi, and Yasin Yasin.
Meanwhile, independent Sunni MPs have expressed their disinterest in nominating Mikati, viewing him as part of the previous political structure, and they have not yet defined their preferences. MP Wadah al-Sadek rejected being categorized alongside his colleagues in the "Change Bloc" — which includes 13 MPs from all sects — based on sectarian classifications, asserting that the change-oriented MPs "will not nominate Mikati for the presidency of the council." The Change Bloc includes five Sunni MPs: Ihab Matar, Rami Finj, Ibrahim Mneimneh, Wadah al-Sadek, and Halima al-Kaqour. Al-Sadek stated in an interview with "Asharq Al-Awsat" that "talking about a Sunni majority is unhelpful; what matters is the emergence of a change-oriented sovereign majority."
He emphasized that the Change Bloc has decided not to support Mikati for numerous reasons, the most substantial being his partnership with the authority parties in government formation, evidenced by the Shiite duo's control over his resigned government, and the impediment to its functioning for more than two months due to investigations into the Beirut Port case. Al-Sadek remarked that the situation "cannot afford the presence of parties in the new government, as their calculations differ from those of the people and their concerns." He revealed that change-oriented MPs "have met with several figures, including Ambassador Nawaf Salam, and we have presented our program; there is a trend towards naming Nawaf Salam, who has gained our consensus."
Numerous names are currently being proposed for leading the new government, including the Minister of Economy in the caretaker government Amine Salam, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nawaf Salam, former Ambassador to the Arab League Khaled Ziyada, and economic expert Saleh Nasouli, who is being promoted by "Free Patriotic Movement" leader Gebran Bassil.
With the influx of potential candidates, former Justice Minister MP Ashraf Rifi announced that he would not nominate himself for the position of Prime Minister as long as President Aoun remains at the Baabda Palace. At the same time, he insisted he "will not nominate Najib Mikati for the premiership, based on rejecting any figure from the old system." Rifi highlighted in an interview with "Asharq Al-Awsat" that his voters elected him to the "parliamentary forum based on a sovereign program." He added, "I will say this with absolute clarity: I did not vote for Nabih Berri as Speaker of the Parliament, and I will not name Najib Mikati as Prime Minister." While Rifi acknowledged that the Sunni arena is rich in qualified personalities for this position, he asserted that former Ambassador Nawaf Salam "is not among his options, as the phase requires an exceptional character capable of dealing with major issues, and Salam does not possess these qualities at this stage." Rifi indicated that he is "close to announcing a parliamentary bloc including Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi and Zgharta MPs Michel Moawad and Adib Abdul-Masih."
On the basis of constructive ambiguity, Sunni MP Bilal Abdullah is cautious about revealing his candidate for Prime Minister and adheres to the position of the "Democratic Gathering" bloc led by Taymour Walid Jumblatt, which is expected to announce its position this evening (Tuesday). The bloc does not seem enthusiastic about naming Mikati, though this may change based on discussions between party leader Walid Jumblatt and Speaker Nabih Berri. This situation applies similarly to "Islamic Group" MP Imad Al-Hout, and independent MPs from Sidon, Osama Saad and Dr. Nazeih Al-Buzri, the latter of whom confirmed that both he and Saad are not inclined to nominate Mikati as Prime Minister given that he is "part of the system that has managed the country for three decades," emphasizing that "the objection is not to Mikati personally but to his political role in the previous phase." Al-Buzri confirmed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that Lebanon "deserves change and a transition to a new reality and a different performance than before." When asked about any agreement on a specific figure, he clarified that "consultations over the next 48 hours will define this figure." He stated, "Some want a technocrat Prime Minister, while others prefer a political figure, and I am aligned with this latter approach in light of the current political system, as long as the President of the Republic and the Speaker of Parliament are also political figures, one cannot appoint a technocrat Prime Minister as it undermines the position." Al-Buzri mentioned that "the Taif Agreement assigned executive authority to the Council of Ministers, which is headed by the Prime Minister; thus, the Prime Minister should possess such qualifications."
For his part, the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Deryan, affirmed during his meetings at Dar Al-Fatwa with MPs that "the parliamentary consultations at the presidential palace for naming a Prime Minister tasked with forming the government are an important responsibility to choose someone with wisdom, knowledge, and a clear vision to address the difficult situation Lebanon is experiencing." He emphasized that Dar Al-Fatwa is "a refuge for all Lebanese, treating each of its members based on brotherhood, love, respect, guidance, and direction to confirm its efforts to embrace various distinguished Lebanese talents and competencies in order to lift Lebanon from its challenges and crises." Mufti Deryan called upon all political spectrums represented in Parliament to "unite their ranks and voices to facilitate naming a Prime Minister tasked with forming the government responsible for pursuing the necessary reforms to extract Lebanon from its financial, economic, social, and living crises and reach the election of a new President of the Republic." He urged the MPs, saying: "Strengthen your unity, solidarity, and cooperation, and prioritize Lebanon's interests as your paramount goal."
