Lebanon PM forms new government, pledging reforms
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Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged to rebuild trust with the international community with his new government.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIRUT – Lebanon’s Prime Minister named a new government on Feb 8, the presidency announced, with the weakening of long-dominant Hezbollah bringing to a close a two-year period of rule by caretaker authorities.
Premier Nawaf Salam said he hoped to head a “government of reform and salvation”, pledging to rebuild trust with the international community after a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, and years of economic collapse blamed on corruption and mismanagement.
His new government faces the daunting task of implementing reforms needed to unlock funding from international donors after years of economic crisis, overseeing a fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire
“I hope this will be a government of reform and salvation,” Mr Salam said in a televised statement moments after his Cabinet was announced.
His government will strive to “restore trust between citizens and the state, between Lebanon and its Arab surrounding, and between Lebanon and the international community”, he said.
President Joseph Aoun signed a decree “to form a government of 24 ministers”, the presidency said in a post on X.
Before the new government can exercise its powers, it needs to draft a ministerial statement that must be submitted to a confidence vote in Parliament within 30 days.
Lebanon’s 128-seat Parliament is mostly dominated by traditional, sectarian-based parties.
The government will hold its first session on Feb 11 morning, the presidency said in a post on X.
The new government includes five women, among them Dr Tamara Elzein, who has been secretary-general of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, and Ms Haneen Sayed, who has worked as a specialist for the World Bank.
It also includes well-known figures like Professor Ghassan Salame, a former United Nations envoy to Libya.
Former lawmaker Yassine Jaber, who has close ties to Hezbollah ally the Amal Movement, was named finance minister – a strategic portfolio long dominated by the two parties.
His naming had been leaked and criticised by some as a boon for powerful Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads Amal.
Long the dominant force in Lebanese politics, Hezbollah suffered staggering losses in a war with Israel that saw its leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in a massive air strike
Hezbollah suffered another seismic blow with the ouster on Dec 8 of then President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which it had long used as its weapons lifeline from Iran.
After more than two years of political stalemate, the weakening of Hezbollah allowed former army chief Aoun, widely believed to be Washington’s preferred candidate, to be elected president and Mr Salam approved as his premier.
The US Embassy in Beirut welcomed the government formation, adding that “the Lebanese people deserve a government that will rebuild Lebanese state institutions, fight corruption and implement needed reforms”.
A day earlier, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus warned against any Hezbollah presence in Lebanon’s new government after meeting Mr Aoun in Beirut, saying the group was “defeated” in its war with Israel.
European Union ambassador to Lebanon Sandra De Waele welcomed Mr Salam’s “commitment that it (the government) will have a reformist agenda”, which she said is “necessary for Lebanon’s future”.
(From left) Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meeting at the presidential palace on Feb 8.
PHOTO: REUTERS
‘Brighter chapter’
The international community has long demanded reforms to unlock financial aid after Lebanon’s economic meltdown began in 2019.
Political deadlock had left Lebanon without a president for more than two years until Mr Aoun’s election.
Mr Salam formed a government in less than a month in a country where such endeavours often take months of political horse-trading.
The office of UN special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said “today’s government formation heralds a new and brighter chapter for Lebanon”.
Mr Salam said he named his ministers after consulting with leaders in a country where power has long been shared according to sectarian quotas.
The new government will have to review agreements, including with the International Monetary Fund, and prepare for parliamentary elections scheduled for 2026. AFP
