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Lebanese Government Faces Daunting Task to Fill Vacant Positions

Lebanese Army soldiers in Parliament’s square, downtown Beirut (dpa file photo)
Lebanese Army soldiers in Parliament’s square, downtown Beirut (dpa file photo)
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Lebanese Government Faces Daunting Task to Fill Vacant Positions

Lebanese Army soldiers in Parliament’s square, downtown Beirut (dpa file photo)
Lebanese Army soldiers in Parliament’s square, downtown Beirut (dpa file photo)

The Lebanese government is facing a significant challenge in administrative reform, particularly in filling high-level vacancies in ministries and public institutions.

Naming officials to category one positions requires broad political consensus, as these appointments must be approved by two-thirds of the government’s members. This means that upcoming cabinet meetings are expected to witness intense political negotiations over the proposed candidates.

Lebanese citizens hope that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government will adopt a merit-based approach to appointments, moving away from sectarian quotas and political favoritism. There is also a push to restore the role of the Civil Service Board, which would review candidates’ qualifications and propose three nominees for each vacant position, allowing the cabinet to select one and issue an official decree.

Mohammed Shamseddine, researcher at Beirut-based Information International, said that there are currently 47 vacant category one positions, with a significant number allocated to the Maronite community, including the commander of the Lebanese Army, the governor of the Central Bank, and director generals of key ministries such as Finance, Education, and Energy.

He added that Sunni-designated positions include the director general of the Internal Security Forces, the president of the Judicial Inspection Authority, and key roles in telecommunications, civil aviation, and tourism.

The Shiite community has seven vacant senior positions, including director general of General Security and the Financial Prosecutor. The Druze, Greek Orthodox, and Greek Catholic communities also have several unfilled roles, such as the director general of the Ministry of Health, the government commissioner to the Central Bank, and the chairman of the Lebanese state television, Tele Liban. The Armenian Catholic community has one vacant senior post, the director general of Central Statistics.

According to Shamseddine, beyond Category One, the government must also address a growing number of vacancies in Category Two and Three positions, which are crucial for the daily operations of public administration. There are currently around 270 vacant posts out of a total of 600 in these categories. Diplomatic and consular positions are also a priority, with 69 Lebanese embassies lacking ambassadors, including those in major capitals such as Washington, Paris, London, Moscow, and Beijing.

Judicial appointments are an equally pressing issue, given that Lebanon’s judiciary has been nearly paralyzed due to vacancies in key positions. The Supreme Judicial Council has been nonfunctional since September 2024, an unprecedented situation in the country’s history. The appointment of a new Financial Prosecutor, the president of the Judicial Inspection Authority, and members of the Judicial Council is seen as essential to restoring the judiciary’s effectiveness. Once the Supreme Judicial Council is reconstituted, it is expected to implement long-delayed judicial appointments.

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Arab World

Trial Week Opens for Assad-Era Figures, Including Syria’s Former Grand Mufti Hassoun

People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)
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Trial Week Opens for Assad-Era Figures, Including Syria’s Former Grand Mufti Hassoun

People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)

A series of new trials involving defendants accused of crimes against Syrians during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad is set to begin this week, as authorities move to accelerate the country’s transitional justice process amid mounting public pressure for accountability.

According to Radif Mustafa, director of the Accountability Department at the National Commission for Transitional Justice, proceedings opened on Monday with the trial of Abdul Nasser Barraq, a former security informant.

Hearings are scheduled to continue Tuesday with the case of Atef Najib, while Wednesday will see the first session in the trial of Wassim al-Assad. On Thursday, proceedings are due to begin against former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, widely known among regime opponents as the “Mufti of the Barrel Bombs.”

The trials come after days of demonstrations across several Syrian provinces, where protesters demanded accountability for former regime enforcers and collaborators, commonly referred to as “shabbiha”.

What began as scattered protests has evolved into a sustained daily movement calling for faster implementation of transitional justice measures.

The Syrian government has acknowledged the protesters’ “legitimate demands,” stressing that justice must be achieved through the rule of law rather than public anger.

Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said authorities remain committed to pursuing all individuals implicated in crimes committed under the former regime.

Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, attends a trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)

The Interior Ministry recently disclosed that nearly 3,700 former military personnel and regime loyalists have been detained by security forces. The announcement was presented as evidence of the government’s determination to continue pursuing suspects linked to past abuses.

At a press conference last week, al-Baba said the ministry’s Counterterrorism Directorate was holding 5,989 detainees from various ranks associated with the former regime.

Separately, the Ministry of Justice announced the creation of specialized judicial chambers dedicated to transitional justice cases in courthouses across Syria.

The move follows a meeting in Damascus on Sunday between Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais and provincial attorneys general to discuss ways of accelerating legal proceedings against those accused of serious crimes.

Under the new mechanism, complainants will file cases directly with designated public prosecutors. Investigating judges will gather evidence before cases are referred to criminal courts, a process intended to speed up proceedings and respond to public demands for accountability.

Al-Wais said the ministry is preparing a broader package of reforms, including updates to judicial legislation, amendments to existing laws, the establishment of a unified national registry of violations under judicial supervision, and specialized training for investigators handling war-crimes cases in cooperation with international experts.

The ministry also plans to strengthen coordination with the National Commission for Transitional Justice, the National Commission for Missing Persons, and civil society organizations.

Arab World

Officials Reject Handing Lebanon over to Iran’s Influence

Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)
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Officials Reject Handing Lebanon over to Iran’s Influence

Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)

Officials in Lebanon were vocal about firmly rejecting that their country being tied to Iran as Washington and Tehran carry out negotiations about ending the conflict in the region.

The officials, who are largely opposed to Iran-backed Hezbollah, said the current phase demands support to the Lebanese state as the sole authority in any negotiations, rejecting Iranian attempts to include Lebanon in its negotiations with the US.

In an open letter to US Vice President JD Vance, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the greatest form of backing to Lebanon lies in supporting the state and its legitimate institutions as the sole national authorities.

Any negotiations or discussions about Lebanon should be held with the state alone, keeping Iran “permanently” away from the Lebanese file, he urged.

He added that the rise of a “sovereign, free and capable” state that can provide stability for all Lebanese people lies in supporting the state in imposing its authority throughout Lebanese territories, restricting the possession of weapons to the legitimate institutions and ending Hezbollah’s military and security presence.

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel warned said that Iran was “trying to save what remains of Hezbollah’s” military power “so that it can use it whenever needed and whenever it is in danger.”

Speaking at a press conference, he stressed: “Lebanon sacrificed ten times what Iran did during the war as confirmed by Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.”

“The Lebanese state must demonstrate to the world that it exists and that it speaks and acts. It is time for the Lebanese army to implement decisions. No more excuses,” he added.

“No matter the outcomes of the negotiations, we will not coexist with Hezbollah,” he declared. “They must commit to the conditions of the Lebanese state. The majority of the Lebanese people are not prepared to live as hostages to Hezbollah.”

Lebanese fishermen set fishing creels off the coast of Dbayeh, north of Beirut, on June 17, 2026. (AFP)

“Hezbollah’s weapons arsenal is the only obstacle preventing Lebanon’s revival. Land will not be liberated, the displaced will not return home and we will not live in peace as long as militias operate on our territories,” Gemayel said.

Reconstruction, the return of expatriates and creation of job opportunities are tied to the rise of the state and imposing state monopoly over arms, he went on to say.

MP Fouad Makhzoumi echoed Gemayel’s remarks, saying: “Real sovereignty is achieved through one state, one army, and one voice responsible for national decisions.”

Lebanon cannot reclaim its sovereignty and voice as long as Hezbollah’s weapons remain outside state control and as long as decisions of war and peace are taken outside legitimate institutions, he added.

The Saydet al-Jabal Gathering warned that Lebanon was facing a new attempt to usurp its voice through Iran’s insistence on using it as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the US.

It accused Iran of seeking to obstruct the US-sponsored direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

“The absolute national priority lies in the state claiming its complete sovereignty and decisions of war and peace,” he added. It must also insist on ensuring the success of its negotiations with Israel, away from foreign hegemony or dictates, to end the Israeli occupation.

“Keeping Lebanon’s fate attached to regional calculations does not in any way benefit the Lebanese people,” it stressed.

Meanwhile, over 400 Lebanese figures, including expatriates, launched an appeal to rally behind the state and its legitimate institutions.

The “Call to Save Lebanon” also backs the negotiations with Israel and rejects any foreign hegemony over Lebanon.

It threw its support behind President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in fulfilling their vows to impose state monopoly over arms and rejecting any partisan or foreign attempts to negotiate on Lebanon’s behalf.

Arab World

Gazans Flee Scorching Tents for a Polluted Sea

Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Gazans Flee Scorching Tents for a Polluted Sea

Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)

Residents of the Gaza Strip have been flocking from suffocating tents to the territory's polluted Mediterranean shore to bathe and wash their clothes, as summer temperatures rise and fresh water remains hard to come by.

Nearly all Gaza's population was displaced during two years of war between Israel and Hamas, with Gazans now crammed into a narrow strip along the coast, mainly in tents and damaged buildings.

"The only outlet in the Gaza Strip, from north to south, is the sea," said Wadie al-Ras, 36, a displaced Palestinian standing on Gaza ‌City's shore.

"The tents ‌we have been staying in since the war ‌are ⁠a torment."

Before war with ⁠Israel broke out in October 2023, Gaza City's sandy beach was a favorite spot for locals to relax. Now it is their only refuge from the crammed, makeshift tents, which are a hotbed of bugs and disease.

Temperatures in Gaza range between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius in the mornings, and inside the tents, it feels far hotter.

The sea offers little comfort. The water is thick with sewage and waste, the ⁠result of a collapse of infrastructure that once served a population ‌of more than two million people.

"The seawater ‌is not clean. There's sewage in it, filled with dirt," said Shehab al-Suwaireki, 36, a ‌displaced father of six.

With no steady supply of fresh water, however, families have been ‌left with little choice.

"We go in and wash (clothes) and bathe then we get out," Suwaireki said. "In any case, germs are getting to our bodies."

Many water pumps have stopped working due to Israeli bombardment, while sewage stations, pumping facilities, and water treatment plants have all been ‌severely damaged, said Husni Muhanna, a spokesperson for the Gaza municipality.

"Residents resort to the beach despite all the dangers," Muhanna ⁠said.

The war began ⁠when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.

Israel responded with an all-out assault on Gaza that killed at least 73,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Despite an October 2025 truce, Israel has continued to carry out deadly attacks in Gaza, which it says aim to thwart imminent attacks by Hamas and other fighters. Hamas has so far rebuffed calls to lay down its arms in exchange for Israel withdrawing its troops.

Aid and basic essentials are scarce.

Nahed Hamouda, a 56-year-old father of four who has been displaced from Jabalia, north of Gaza City, said the tents were "like an oven".

"There's no electricity, no fan, no water, even the food is inedible," he said, as he sat fanning himself with a piece of cardboard.