Lebanon’s president names ICJ judge Nawaf Salam prime minister

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday picked international jurist Nawaf Salam to form a government to pull the war-scarred country out of economic crisis.

A majority of Lebanese lawmakers endorsed Salam, the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, after two years of a caretaker government. “The president of the republic has called on Judge Nawaf Salam to task him with forming a government,” the presidency said. Salam was abroad but would return to Lebanon on Tuesday, it said.

Aoun, whose election last week ended a two-year vacancy for the post, had held consultations with lawmakers earlier in the day ahead of announcing his selection. As of Monday afternoon, 84 members of parliament had told Aoun they backed Salam, according to a tally by Lebanese media, with nine endorsing interim prime minister Najib Mikati to stay in the position. Thirty-five refused to back either contender.