Eight months of deadlock ended on Thursday evening as Lebanon’s presidency announced the formation of a new national unity government.
A new 30-member government to be led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri was unveiled during a press conference at the presidential palace in the capital, Beirut, after rival political factions managed to hammer out their differences over the government line-up.
The new government will include most Lebanese political factions, who have been negotiating the make-up of the cabinet since a May 6 election.
According to a statement by Lebanon’s presidency, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal party, and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who leads President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, have retained their positions in the new cabinet.
Hezbollah resistance has chosen Jamil Jabak as the new health minister.
The Future movement’s Raya al-Hasan will be the country’s new interior minister. Hasan is one of four women appointed to the cabinet and the first woman to hold this position.
Speaking following the announcement, Hariri voiced alarm about the country’s economic and financial challenges, saying the time for dealing with problems with “painkillers” is over.
“The time of treatment with painkillers is over. No one can put their head in the sand anymore. Matters are as clear as the sun. All the problems are known and the causes of the corruption and waste and administrative deficiency are also known,” the prime minister said.
“Lebanese are living in concern about the economic situation,” Hariri said, adding that the government’s work could not wait.
The news boosted Lebanon’s bonds, with a 2037 dollar issue jumping in price by 4.3 cents to its highest since August.
Source: Agencies
