Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati's government came into being today, Friday, after a year of emptiness that resulted from sharp political divisions and contributed to deepening an unprecedented economic crisis that has continued in Lebanon for two years.

The Lebanese presidency reported that Aoun and Mikati signed a decree to form the new government in the presence of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Cabinet Secretary General Muhammad Makiya read the decree to form the government, which consisted of 24 specialists, but a number of them are known for their successes in the economic, medical, cultural and media fields.

The announcement of the Mikati government came after consultations and contacts in the past hours, in an attempt to overcome the obstacles that prevented its formation.

Government formation decrees headed by President Najib Mikati pic.twitter.com/U08vAp9ZyW

— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) September 10, 2021

Tighten the belts

During statements broadcast on television after his meeting with Aoun and after the announcement of the formation of the government, Mikati remained silent for a few seconds and often cried when describing the difficulties of daily life, as it is difficult to obtain basic commodities, including medicines, while many Lebanese leave the country in search of a better life abroad.

Mikati - who is also a former prime minister - said that the situation that Lebanon is going through is difficult and exceptional and calls for the solidarity of the Lebanese together, and he talked about the crises of medicine and electricity and others.

He pointed out that his government is made up of specialists, that it adheres to the National Accord Document, and that it will work to stop the collapse in the country, and stressed the need to connect the broken relations with the Arab world.

He said that the politics of rivalry and divisions should be put aside, noting that he could not go to negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, "I come to take approval of it and return to stop at another place."

He also pledged to seek the support of Arab countries, stressing, "We will not save again unless we will contact all international bodies so that we can secure the simplest matters of life that have become essential."

He added, "We all have to bear, today we are in a plane making a quick emergency landing, and what we ask of the passengers - that is, the Lebanese, is to tighten their belts so that we can take off quickly. There is a tightening of belts for everyone."

government members

Among the members of the Mikati government, the director of the Rafic Hariri Governmental Hospital, Firas Abyad, who was known for his success in dealing with the Corona crisis, was appointed Minister of Health, George Kordahi, the well-known media figure and appointed Minister of Information, and the well-known researcher Nasser Yassin, who was appointed Minister of Environment.

And appointed Youssef Khalil, a senior official at the Banque du Liban, and the assistant governor of the bank, Riad Salameh, as Minister of Finance in the proposed new government formation.

Mikati's cabinet includes one woman, Najla Riachi, Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs.

Although most of the ministers do not openly belong to any political current, they were named from prominent political parties and leaders, which makes them affiliated with them, according to media reports.

Mikati is the third prime minister assigned to form a government from President Aoun since the resignation of Hassan Diab's government more than a year ago, after the explosion of the Beirut port and with the worsening economic crisis.

Aoun: The best we got

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said today, Friday, that the formation of the new government is the best that has been reached, and that we must work to get out of the "marrows" (down a rocky pit) in his country.

This came in a statement to the media, after announcing the formation of a new government consisting of 24 ministers, after a stalemate that lasted more than a year in Lebanon.

"We will start by solving basic problems such as gasoline, diesel and bread, in addition to the misfortunes of poverty, debts, strikes, the Corona virus, and the explosion of the port of Beirut," he added.

He said, "I did not take the blocking third, and it was a political war, and what we should have taken, we took, and the important thing is that we work together."

Among the reactions as well, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri wrote on his Twitter account, "Finally, after 12 months of emptiness, our country has a government."

Finally, after 12 months of emptiness, our country has a government.

All support for President Mikati's country in the vital mission to stop the collapse and launch reforms.

— Saad Hariri (@saadhariri) September 10, 2021

He added, "All support for the state of President Mikati in the vital mission to stop the collapse and launch reforms."

For his part, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, considered that "a year of delay, unfortunately, would have - had it been exploited - saved the Lebanese a lot of pain."

Unfortunately, a year of delay saved the Lebanese a lot of pain. We hope that we have learned to respect the constitution, and that it is not permissible to bet on breaking someone;

We hope that the new government will not delay reform;

We were late enough... the truth came out today 🙏🏻GB

— Gebran Bassil (@Gebran_Bassil) September 10, 2021

He said that he hopes that we have learned to respect the constitution, and that it is not permissible to bet on breaking anyone. He also hoped that the government would not delay reform.

On the external level, European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell - who was waving sanctions on politicians responsible for government stalemate - welcomed the formation of the government as "the key to addressing the current economic, financial and social crises, implementing long-awaited reforms and preparing for the 2022 elections."

The Lebanese Cabinet set - in a statement - next Monday, the date for the first ministerial session of the new government headed by Najib Mikati.

On July 26, Aoun assigned Mikati to form the government after Saad Hariri and Mustafa Adib apologized for not completing the task due to differences between the political forces.

The Mikati government will succeed the caretaker government, which resigned 6 days after a catastrophic explosion occurred in the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020.

For more than a year, political differences have prevented the formation of a government that would put an end to the economic collapse, and to succeed the current caretaker government headed by Hassan Diab.

For nearly two years, Lebanon has been afflicted by the worst economic crisis in its history, which led to a financial collapse and a decline in foreign exchange allocated for imports, which was reflected in a shortage of fuel, medicines and other basic commodities.

challenging missions

It is the responsibility of the new government to quickly reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund as a first step to get Lebanon out of its crisis, which is characterized by a lack of liquidity and severe crises in fuel and electricity that are reflected in all aspects of life.

It should also prepare for the parliamentary elections scheduled for May, which the international community is keen to complete on schedule.

For more than a year, the international community linked its provision of any financial support to the formation of a government of specialists that was engaged in radical reforms, and was satisfied with waiting for urgent humanitarian aid, without going through the official institutions.