Lebanon announced the formation of a government on Thursday, following months of complicated disputes between rival political factions which had affected the country’s economy. The deadlock had come following disagreements on the make-up of the cabinet after May elections.
Prime Minister of Lebanon, backed by the West, apologized for the wait and said that they would mainly focus on the country’s economy.
“The time of treatment with painkillers is over. No one can put their head in the sand any more. 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,” he said.
“Lebanese are living in concern about the economic situation,” said Hariri, adding that the work of the new government would not wait.
“To work,” Hariri also wrote on Twitter on Thursday, shortly after the announcement.
الى العمل… https://t.co/xWk0dUQ2GC
— Saad Hariri (@saadhariri) January 31, 2019
The new cabinet will include the country’s main political factions and will be composed of 30 members.
According to the announcement, Raya al-Hasan, a member of The Future Movement, will be Lebanon’s interior minister and the first woman to hold such a position. Along with her, three other women have been appointed to the cabinet.
Gebran Bassil, head of President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, will retain his post as foreign minister, while Elias Bou Saab will be defence minister.
Ali Hasan Khalil of parliament speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement will retain his position as minister of finance, while Hezbollah-backed Jamil Jabak was named as the country’s health minister.
By picking the health minister, the Hezbollah armed group will be moving beyond the marginal role it played in past governments; the ministry has the fourth-biggest budget in the state apparatus, the outgoing health minister has said, as per Al-Jazeera.
A complex system has been put in place for the governance of the country, keeping in mind a balance between different religious communities and political parties. Decisions are made by consensus, after which follows protracted bargaining.
According to Reuters news agency, the news boosted Lebanon’s bonds, with a 2037 dollar issue jumping in price by 4.3 cents to its highest since August.
(With inputs from Middle East Eye, Al-Jazeera)
