Lebanon set to designate new PM ahead of Macron visit
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Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany Mustapha Adib is set to be designated prime minister on Monday ahead of a visit to Beirut by the French president who will press for long-delayed reforms to steer the Middle East nation out of its deep crisis.

Emmanuel Macron, who arrives late on Monday, has taken centre stage in international efforts to get Lebanon’s fractious leaders to address a financial crisis that had devastated the economy even before a massive blast at Beirut port on Aug. 4 killed about 190 people.

Adib emerged as frontrunner for the post of premier after being nominated on Sunday by former prime ministers, including Saad al-Hariri who heads Lebanon’s biggest Sunni Muslim party. The post of prime minister must go to a Sunni.

Hariri’s Future Movement, the powerful Iranian-backed Shi’ite party Hezbollah and the Progressive Socialist Party led by Druze politician Walid Jumblatt were among the first to nominate Adib in formal consultations hosted by President Michel Aoun on Monday.

Aoun, a Maronite Christian, must designate the candidate with greatest support among lawmakers. Adib appeared on course for an overwhelming majority.

Senior Lebanese officials said Macron had pressed Lebanese leaders to agree on a candidate in the 48 hours before consensus emerged on Adib. Last week, Lebanese leaders were deadlocked over who should be the next prime minister.