Lebanon’s new prime minister faces his toughest trial yet

Nawaf Salam's professional history presents a figure of competence and international credibility. Reuters

In a month’s time, Lebanon will mark the 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri, the tycoon and visionary prime minister who espoused non-violence but was murdered in a Beirut bombing. Almost 20 years after the attack, one of the architects of the UN-led international tribunal to investigate the killing has been chosen as Lebanon’s new prime minister.

Delving into the murky circumstances surrounding Mr Hariri’s death would be a tough assignment for anyone. However, Nawaf Salam’s background as a veteran diplomat, jurist and academic who was already steeped in the realities of high-stakes Lebanese politics made him a good fit for the job. Almost two decades later, Mr Salam has received the backing of more than 80 Lebanese MPs for another vital task – that of guiding the country through its latest challenges.

Mr Salam brings a lot to the table. Along with newly elected President Joseph Aoun, he is regarded as being outside the country’s contemporary political class, a group in which many Lebanese have lost their trust. His professional history presents a figure of competence and international credibility – he is the first Lebanese and the second Arab to lead the International Court of Justice and served for 10 years as Lebanon’s permanent representative to the UN.

Lebanon’s new prime minister also has domestic credibility. From his pro-Palestinian and leftist activism in the 1970s to a consequential career in academia, Mr Salam has focused on reforming the country’s electoral code and judicial system as well as building a civil state that could transcend Lebanon’s sectarian divisions. He also has deep roots in Lebanese politics and culture; his grandfather, Salim Salam, was the deputy of Beirut in the Ottoman parliament in 1912. His uncle Saeb Salam, who is regarded as one of the country's founding fathers, and his cousin, Tammam Salam, both served as prime minister.

Mr Salam will need to draw on all his professional experience and political nous for the challenges ahead. The ceasefire with Israel is brittle. Building new homes and finding jobs for the tens of thousands of Lebanese caught in the crossfire between Hezbollah and Israel’s latest war is a huge task. Many other issues remain unresolved, such as a proliferation of arms and many of Lebanon’s estimated 175,000 migrant workers who have been left homeless after the truce.

Those parties in parliament who did not vote for Mr Salam have had their say. Hezbollah parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad called for a government that takes into account Lebanon's multi-confessional state, essentially saying the Shiite community must be represented. However, although Mr Salam should not take any community’s support for granted, his legal background and demonstrable commitment to better governance stands in contrast to others’ track record of revolutionary rhetoric and confrontation. In his first remarks following his nomination, Mr Salam struck a positive tone, saying he was “not in favour of exclusion but rather committed to unity and partnership”. He also called for an end to Lebanon’s “wasted opportunities”.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon to examine Mr Hariri’s 2005 death eventually blamed Hezbollah operatives for the bombing. Lebanon’s new prime minister will be keenly aware that the price for political failure can be high. However, Mr Salam’s appointment could represent a break from the past. A legal-minded technocrat – not another ideologue – may just be what Lebanon needs as it tries to move forward.