Lebanon: new prime minister commits to forming a team of reformist "experts"

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The new Lebanese Prime Minister Moustapha Adib pledged this Monday after his appointment to train in "record time" a ministerial team made up of "experts" and "competent" people and responsible for implementing Long awaited "reforms". Moustapha Adib, dubbed by the main political forces of the country, obtained the support of 90 of the 120 deputies of Parliament.

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With our correspondent in Beirut ,  Paul Khalifeh

" The time is not for words and promises but for action  ": in his first statement after being charged by President Michel Aoun with forming the new government, Moustapha Adib set the tone. He wants to form a homogeneous team, made up of specialists.

This former professor of political science, parachuted to the post of Lebanese ambassador to Germany, 7 years ago, enjoys the support of the heavyweights of his Sunni community and of the main Christian and Shiite political parties. Although he is not himself affiliated with a political party, he is close to former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, of whom he was chief of staff, between 2011 and 2014.

It is therefore supported by the traditional political class, rejected by the protest movement and by part of the Lebanese. Its task promises to be difficult. Rebuilding Beirut, devastated by the double explosion of August 4, is a priority. But also, initiate deep reforms to revive a destroyed economy. The most important thing is to give hope to a people struck by successive crises for almost a year.

Already, discordant voices are rising. For the businessman Bahaa Hariri, who competes with his brother Saad Hariri for the leadership of the Sunni community, Moustapha Adib is only "another agent of the old regime".

► The issue of the composition of the new government

With our special correspondent in Beirut,   Nicolas Falez

The previous government had resigned following the explosion which killed nearly 190 people on August 4 in the port of Beirut. The choice of Moustapha Adib comes as Emmanuel Macron arrives this Monday evening in Beirut, his second visit to the Lebanese capital since the disaster. The French president wants to encourage the formation of a "  mission government  " to decide on urgent reforms in the face of the country's economic collapse.

But after the choice of the new Lebanese Prime Minister, the question of the composition of his government remains. For the party of President Michel Aoun, the Free Patriotic Current, it will inevitably be necessary to turn to the current political parties, even if they are contested, explains Martine Najem, vice-president of the CPL: “  Even if there is a change in the general popular world that does not mean that the parties no longer represent the population it seems a little utopian to say that we want a completely independent government, because from where we are going to bring these people, they will come by parachute to govern?  "

In Beirut this week, Emmanuel Macron will plead for a mission government. Do we also need early legislative elections in Lebanon? Yes, according to Samy Gemayel, who chairs the Kataeb party and who resigned from his mandate as deputy after the explosion of August 4: “  When we have an economic crisis of this magnitude, when we have an explosion of this magnitude, when we experience this that we have lived for a few months until today, it is normal that we come back to people and ask people their opinions and people decide what they want.  "

A few hours before the arrival of Emmanuel Macron, the powerful Shiite Hezbollah party has also declared itself ready to discuss the new "  political pact  " proposed by the French president.

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• Lebanon
• Michel Aoun
• Emmanuel Macron

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