Salam's candidacy was backed by the March 14 Alliance, the Progressive Socialist Party, Najib Mikati and the Amal Movement.

The Mikati government fell after Najib Mikati's resignation on 22 March 2013 over his attempt in 2013 to form a committee to oversee the next general election in opposition to Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers, as well as an attempt to extend the term of Major General Ashraf Rifi, the head of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), who was scheduled to retire in April,[2] due to a mandatory age limit.

[3] Tammam Salam's emergence as the consensus candidate followed discussion in Saudi Arabia and also had the backing of March 14, Mikati and Amal.

"[5] He also said that he intends to form a national unity government instead of a partisan one saying that "the consensus around my nomination is the biggest proof of the intention of political forces to save the country.

[10] While Salam said the government would "strengthen national security and stand against all kinds of terrorism" and face the social issue of about a million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, it would also lead to the 2014 Lebanese presidential election.