A Lebanese diplomat was appointed’ Monday to form a new government after gaining the support of major political parties in the crisis-hit country, which is still reeling from a devastating explosion that killed and injured thousands.
President Michel Aoun called on Lebanon's
ambassador to Germany, Mustapha Adib, to form a new government after receiving
90 votes in the 128-member parliament.
The advice comes as French President
Emmanuel Macron arrives on a two-day visit, during which he is expected’ to
press Lebanese officials to forge a new political deal to pull the country out
of a series of crises. The August 4 blast killed at least 190 people and
injured 6,000, destroying the city's port and causing extensive damage to
residential and commercial areas in the capital.
Less than a week after the blast, the
government resigned.
Adib told reporters that his first
priority would be to form a government that would soon implement reforms to
regain the trust of the Lebanese and international community.
He said he would form a cabinet of experts
and work with parliament to move the country forward and eliminate dangerous
financial, economic and social drainage.
"Our country has a narrow
opportunity, and the mission I have embraced is on all political parties
knowingly. A government must be formed’ very soon.
Macron and other world leaders, as well as
the International Monetary Fund, have refused to help Lebanon's leaders before
bringing about major reforms. The quick consensus around the little-known
diplomat, Adib, has led to a sense of urgency on the part of traditional
Lebanese politicians to overcome the rapidly growing economic and financial
crisis and to show movement before Macron's visit. Indicated.
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with
Aoun on Monday, telling reporters that his 18-member bloc had backed the
writer. He called for the formation of a government of experts "who have
implemented reforms aimed at restoring the world's confidence in our economy so
that we can begin to emerge from this crisis."
Writers who returned to Lebanon from
Germany on Saturday were the only names to emerge as favorites for the PM's
job, according to which Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system has to be
Sunni Muslim. The candidate with the most support is asked’ to form a new
cabinet, but Lebanon's divided political class often discusses who holds senior
positions and key ministries.
Four former prime ministers, including
Hariri, during Monday’s consultation, named the author.
Earlier Sunday, Hassan Nasrallah, head of
the Hezbollah militant group, said his supporters would support and facilitate
the formation of a government capable of improving the economic situation and
bringing about major reforms.
The Iranian-backed militant group, which
has a dominant role in Lebanese politics, has come under intense criticism and
public scrutiny as the country faces several catastrophic crises. Hezbollah and
its allies are also expected’ to name the writer.
Even before the explosion, an
unprecedented economic crisis had begun to gain more than 80% of the value of
the Lebanese currency, pushing unemployment, poverty and inflation to the
brink.
Corona virus infections and deaths have
also risen, and authorities have called for the reintroduction of some
restrictions on economic and social activities that have largely been ignored’
in the wake of the crisis. And the recent blast severely damaged the port of
Beirut, a major trade channel for the small country, which is dependent on
imports.
Six days after about 3,000 tons of ammonium
nitrate exploded in a Beirut port, Prime Minister Hassan Deb's government,
backed by Hezbollah and its allies, resigned on August 10.
Adib, who has been Lebanon's ambassador to
Germany since 2013, served as an adviser to former Lebanese Prime Minister
Najib Mikati. He served on Lebanon's new electoral law writing committee in
2005 and 2006, and served as cabinet chief in 2011.
The 48-year-old, from the northern city of
Tripoli, holds a PhD in law and political science and has taught at
universities in Lebanon and France.
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