Lebanon's Hezbollah delays meeting with president, indicating tensions over PM choice

Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun sits at the presidential palace, after he was elected as the country's President, in Baabda
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's army chief Joseph Aoun sits at the presidential palace, after he was elected as the country's President, in Baabda, Lebanon, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammed Yassin/File Photo
Source: REUTERS

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group postponed an appointment with President Joseph Aoun on Monday at which it was due to communicate its preference for the post of prime minister, political sources said, indicating tensions in the process.

The Shi'ite group and its ally the Shi'ite Amal Movement had been due to tell Aoun they wanted caretaker Prime Minister Nabib Mikati to stay in the post, which is reserved for a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon's sectarian political system.

But the two Shi'ite groups delayed their meeting as it became clear that another candidate, International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam, looked set to emerge from the process with the most support among lawmakers, the sources said.

Aoun is required to designate the candidate with the greatest support among Lebanon's 128 lawmakers.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

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