Lebanon unveils new gov't after political instability
by Compiled from Wire Services
ISTANBULDec 20, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Compiled from Wire Services
Dec 20, 2016 12:00 am
A new 30-member national unity Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri was announced Sunday in Lebanon nearly two months after a new president was elected, and the premier vowed that his top priority would be to protect the country from the effects of the civil war in neighboring Syria.
"This is a government of national unity that will tackle all crises," Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri told a press conference. He said the government's first mission will be to reach a new electoral law "that abides by proportional representation and the right representation." "The government will maintain security, stability amid fires that have ravaged the region and shield our country from the negative consequences of the Syrian crisis," he said. The new government includes 23 newcomers and one woman.
Hariri, a Sunni politician who leads the Future Movement, was appointed last month following the election of President Michel Aoun in late October, ending almost two years of presidential vacuum. Hariri, who served as prime minister for 14 months until early 2011, began working to form the new Cabinet in early November, days after the country's newly elected president Aoun asked him to do so. The new government must still be approved by parliament.
He said his government would work to "isolate our country from the negative effects of the Syrian war" and would seek international help in dealing with the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled into Lebanon.
Lebanon is home to some 1.2 million Syrian refugees, or a quarter of the country's population. The Syrian war has spilled over into Lebanon on several occasions over the past five years, with clashes and bombings that have killed scores.
Lebanese are sharply divided over Syria's war. Hariri has been a harsh critic of President Bashar al-Assad's government, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to back the Syrian leader.
Lebanon's political forces are divided between supporters of the March 14 alliance which backs the armed opposition in next-door Syria and the March 8 alliance, which includes Hezbollah and supports Syria's Assad regime. A third, centrist bloc, meanwhile, is led by Druze politician Walid Jumblatt and former Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
In 1943, Lebanon's Muslims and Christians agreed to distribute the country's three most important political posts between them. Ever since, according to an unwritten National Charter that remains in effect until today, the president who serves for non-renewable six-year terms, should be a Maronite Christian; the prime minister a Sunni Muslim; and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.