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Lebanon in crisis adopted a government on Tuesday evening, led by Hassan Diab, almost three months after Saad Hariri's resignation under pressure from the street. It already rejects the new team.
The list of members of the government was read by a senior official at the presidential palace in Beirut after President Michel Aoun signed the document, which was the subject of more than a month of heated negotiations.
According to the Lebanese French-language newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour , there are twenty ministers. If gender parity is far from being achieved (six women), it is respected at the denominational level: as many Christians as Muslims.
The Prime Minister promised that his government would do everything possible to respond to the demands of the protest movement which has been agitating the country for more than three months and calls for an overhaul of the political system. Among the priorities of his government: satisfying the demands of the Lebanese revolt, fighting corruption and illegal enrichment, recovering looted public funds, fighting unemployment, tackling the economic and financial crisis and preparing a new law election.
Independence claimed, but how far?
Vast and ambitious program, which comes under unfavorable conditions / Saad Hariri, who leads the largest Sunni party, a community from which the Prime Minister is born, does not hide his hostility towards him / The supporters of the former head of the government also blocked the roads in many parts of the country on Tuesday evening, saying that Hassan Diab did not represent the Sunnis / Around parliament, clashes between demonstrators and the police /
" It is a government which expresses the aspirations of the demonstrators throughout the country, mobilized for more than three months, which will work to meet their demands: independence of the justice, recovery of embezzled funds, fight against illegal enrichment ", he said shortly after the announcement of the formation of his cabinet.
Far from being intimidated, Hassan Diab once again displayed his independence on Tuesday evening, including with regard to those who appointed him: Hezbollah, the Free Patriotic Current, the largest Christian party founded by the president Michel Aoun, and their allies. Even if he collaborated with them to form his government, he seems determined to impose his style on them. But if he wants to succeed, he will be forced to deal with the traditional parties hated by the street. Because without them, nothing passes to the Parliament, which is completely under their control, analyzes our correspondent Paul Khalifeh .
The street is booming
However, this same Beirut street does not hear it that way. For the demonstrators, this new Diab gournement comes from the same corrupt class rejected with force since mid-October.
As soon as the announcement was made, protesters expressed their anger and disappointment in several places in Lebanon. Particularly in Beirut: arteries in the capital were again cut with flaming tires. In front of the Lebanese Parliament, several hundred demonstrators gathered, notes our special envoy Nicolas Falez. Some strike drums, pans.
Protesters block roads, take to streets to reject new govt https://t.co/B89pWr0NT2
The Daily Star Lebanon (@DailyStarLeb) January 21, 2020Government awaited for several months
Lebanon has been living since October 17 to the rhythm of an unprecedented protest movement against a ruling class deemed to be corrupt and incompetent. The country has been awaiting a new government since the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri on October 29.
After weeks of procrastination, Hassan Diab, professor of engineering and former minister of education, had been charged on December 19 to form a government.
Mr. Diab was committed to choosing independent technocrats, as the street demands. He also promised a government within one month to six weeks, in a country where cabinet formation sometimes lasts several months due to endless negotiations due to a distribution of portfolios ensuring a representation of the different communities of this country multifaith.
In three months of protest, anger has only grown among the protesters who castigate the inertia of leaders: the economic crisis worsens with mass layoffs, drastic banking restrictions and a sharp depreciation of the Lebanese pound face to the dollar.
(With AFP)