ANSD : Lebanon announces new govt after more than 8 months of deadlock

FRI 19 - 4 - 2024

Date: Feb 1, 2019
Source: The Daily Star

Lebanon announces new govt after more than 8 months of deadlock

Macron welcomes new Lebanese Cabinet

BEIRUT: A new 30-member government to be led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri was formed Thursday, bringing the monthslong deadlock to an end.

The new Lebanese Cabinet will include in key ministerial posts:

Lebanese Forces's Ghassan Hasbani as Deputy Prime Minister

Free Patriotic Movement's Gebran Bassil as foreign minister

Free Patriotic Movement's Elias Bou Saab as defense minister

Hezbollah-affiliated Jamil Jabak as health minister

Future Movement's Raya al-Hasan as interior minister

Amal Movement's Ali Hasan Khalil as finance minister

Mohamed Choucair, backed by the Future Movement, as Telecommunications Minister

Marada Movement's Youssef Fenianos as public works and transportation minister

Progressive Socialist Party's Wael Abou Faour as industry minister

Progressive Socialist Party's Akram Chehayeb as education minister

Free Patriotic Movement's Nada Boustani as energy and water minister

Lebanese Forces' Camille Abousleiman as a labor minister

Hezbollah's Mahmoud Qomati as a minister of state for parliamentary affairs

Free Patriotic Movement's Salim Jreissati as minister of state for presidency affairs

Tashnag's Avedis Guidanian as tourism minister

Free Patriotic Movement's Albert Serhan as justice minister

Future Movement's Jamal Jarrah as information minister

Hezbollah's Mohammad Fneish as youth and sports minister

Lebanese Forces' Richard Kouyoumjian as social affairs minister

Amal Movement's Hasan Lakkis as agriculture minister

Violette Safadi as minister of state for social and economic rehabilitation of youth and women

Lebanese Forces' May Chidiac as minister of state for administrative development

Azm Movement's Adel Afiouni as minister of state for information technology

Lebanese Democratic Party's Saleh Gharib as minister of state for refugee affairs

The Consultative Gathering's Hasan Mrad as minister of state for foreign trade

Free Patriotic Movement's Fadi Jreissati as environment minister

Free Patriotic Movement's Ghassan Atallah as minister for the displaced

Amal Movement's Mohammad Daoud as culture minister

Free Patriotic Movement's Mansour Bteich as economy and trade minister

Hasan, a former finance minister, is the first woman in Lebanon's history to be named interior minister.

The announcement, which comes after more than eight months of political wrangling, boosted Lebanon's sovereign dollar bonds, as those with a maturity of 2037 jumped in price by 4.3 cents to their highest since August.

In a speech after the announcement, Hariri said the economy is the new government's main challenge, with reforms needed to address the dire public finances and unlock billions of dollars in pledged aid and loans to boost low growth.

Macron welcomes new Lebanese Cabinet

BEIRUT: French President Emmanuel Macron Friday welcomed the formation of Lebanon’s new government, reaffirming his commitment to the country.

"President Emmanuel Macron reaffirms his commitment to the sovereignty, stability and security of Lebanon, underlining the importance of the policy of dissociation and the fight against terrorism," a statement from the Elysee Palace said.

Lebanon Thursday formed a 30-member national unity government led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The eight-month political deadlock paralyzed state institutions and threatened to put in jeopardy over $11 billion in grants and soft loans pledged by international donors at the CEDRE conference France hosted in April.

“France has stood by the Lebanese people and officials in the past few months to facilitate the conditions of this formation, in the spirit of the partnership and friendship that joins our country,” the statement said. It also expressed France’s desire to follow up on Lebanon's implementation of economic and social reforms linked to the CEDRE conference.

Macron wished Hariri, the cabinet ministers, President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri success in their future work.

France’s expression of support comes after the long-awaited Lebanese government was welcomed by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, the EU’s top diplomat, the commander of UNIFIL, the U.K. ambassador to Lebanon, the Deputy United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon and others.

Hariri: Let’s turn new page, start work

_{Hussein Dakroub| The Daily Star}
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri Thursday formed a 30-member national unity government, ending an eight-month political deadlock that paralyzed state institutions and threatened to put over $11 billion in grants and soft loans from international donors in jeopardy.

The Cabinet lineup, representing the country’s main political parties and including four women including the first female interior minister, was announced by Cabinet Secretary General Fouad Fleifel during a news conference at Baabda Palace following a meeting between President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Hariri.

The formation of the first Cabinet since the May parliamentary elections capped more than eight months of wrangling and jockeying among the rival factions over who gets what portfolio. The Cabinet formation had been stymied since October by the problem of representing six Hezbollah-backed Sunni MPs not affiliated with Hariri’s Future Movement.

The Cabinet announcement boosted Lebanon’s sovereign dollar bonds, as those with a maturity of 2037 jumped in price by 4.3 cents to their highest since August.

It was also expected to allay fears over Lebanon’s sinking economic credentials after international agencies downgraded the country’s credit ratings over concerns about the government’s ability to pay its massive debt.

Celebrations broke out after the announcement, including fireworks above Beirut and rallies in support of Hariri, who has been premier minister since December 2016 following Aoun’s election as president. Hariri, 48, had served his first term as prime minister from 2009 to 2011.

Speaking to reporters at Baabda Palace shortly after the Cabinet lineup was unveiled, Hariri stressed that revitalizing the country’s ailing economy was the new government’s main challenge. He pledged to carry out key economic and financial reforms demanded at the CEDRE conference to bolster the economy encumbered by a soaring public debt of $84 billion, or 155 percent of its gross domestic product, and a low growth.

He also underlined the need for cooperation and solidarity among ministers as a condition for the success of the new government.

“We have economic, financial, social, administrative and service-related challenges, in addition to the known conditions in the region and Israeli threats on the border. This means that cooperation among the Cabinet members is an essential condition to meet the challenges and for the government to succeed in overcoming this phase,” Hariri said. Declaring that the country’s problems and the root causes of corruption and the waste of public funds are clear as day, Hariri said: “The Lebanese, and politicians in particular, must realize that the solution is not through complaints and populist steps, but through a clear program and bold reforms and initiatives and a workshop of legislation to develop laws that cannot endure delay or compromise. In this way, we can protect the country’s economy and the people’s rights and the interests of limited income people.”

He called for “genuine and effective partnership” between the public and private sectors to implement key infrastructure projects related to electricity, water, sewage and roads, in addition to a program to reactivate the production sectors.

Referring to the over $11 billion in grants and loans pledged at last year’s CEDRE conference in Paris to finance investment and infrastructure projects in Lebanon, Hariri said: “The funds are there and what is required is a decision to implement [these projects]. But this decision needs administrative reforms.”

Asked whether there would be solidarity among the new ministers, given policy differences and split that had bedeviled his outgoing Cabinet, Hariri said that during his meeting with Aoun and Berri the two leaders underlined the “importance of solidarity in order to move forward quickly and implement all these projects.”

Meanwhile, the international community congratulated Lebanon on the government formation.

“We welcome the formation of the new government and hope it will uphold its commitments to international resolutions and meet the aspirations and needs of the Lebanese people,” the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in a tweet.

“It is very welcome news that Prime Minister-designate Hariri, in close consultation with President Aoun, was finally able to reach a consensus among all parties on the formation of a government. This is a positive step that is of crucial importance for Lebanon’s stability,” Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s high representative and vice president, said in a statement.

Hariri, who was designated to form a new government on May 24, apologized to the Lebanese for the delay in the formation. He said the new Cabinet would hold its first meeting at Baabda Palace at 11:30 a.m. Saturday to form a committee that would draft the government’s policy statement on whose basis it would seek a vote of confidence from Parliament.

“It was a difficult political stage after the elections. We have to turn the page and begin work,” Hariri said.

Later in the evening, addressing a large number of dignitaries and supporters from Beirut and other areas who gathered at his Downtown Beirut residence to congratulate him on the Cabinet formation, Hariri said the new government would work rather than just talk.

“This government will not be a government that just talks, but a government that works, God willing. I want to thank the Future Movement and all those who supported us from all regions,” Hariri said.

Afterward, Hariri, accompanied by the new Interior and Municipalities Minister Raya al-Hasan, visited the grave of his father, Rafik Hariri, in Downtown Beirut, where they prayed for his soul and the souls of the martyrs who fell with him in the Feb. 14, 2005, suicide truck bombing.

Appealing to new minsters to get down to business, Hariri tweeted: “Let’s go to work.”

Contrary to wide expectations, caretaker Foreign Minister Bassil, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, did not get 11 ministers along with Aoun’s share that would grant them a veto power in a 30-member Cabinet.

Hasan Mrad, son of MP Abdel-Rahim Mrad, one of the six Sunni lawmakers, was named as minister of state for foreign trade following weeks of backstage horse trading between Hariri, Bassil and other groups. Mrad will not belong to the FPM’s bloc as Bassil had wanted.

Bassil retained his post as foreign minister, as did Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, a key political aide to Berri.

Former Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, affiliated with FPM’s parliamentary Strong Lebanon bloc headed by Bassil, was named as defense minister, replacing Yaccoub Sarraf.

Hezbollah was allocated two ministries and a ministry of state, including for the first time the coveted Health Ministry, which has one of the country’s largest budgets. Hariri had warned against Hezbollah, which is under tough U.S. sanctions, holding the Health Ministry, fearing it would also be hit with the sanctions.

The new health minister, Jamil Jabak, is not a member of Hezbollah, but is close to the group’s leader, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, and his personal physician at one point.

The Cabinet announcement followed a string of local and foreign warnings that a prolonged government crisis would lead to an economic collapse, as well as to the loss of the CEDRE conference aid.

Among the challenges facing the new government are the divisive issues of Hezbollah’s arms and Lebanon’s relations with Syria. The new government will also face an uphill battle against rampant corruption in the public administration, largely blamed for the endemic budget deficit.

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