After more than a year of political gridlock, Prime Minister-designate Nagib Mikati has finally succeeded in establishing a new administration.
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| [Beirut,Lebanon] |
After more than a year of political gridlock, Prime Minister-designate Nagib Mikati has finally succeeded in establishing a new administration. However, the cabinet's action plan in the face of the crisis is unclear, and questions linger about its capacity to start reforms.
Lebanon now has a new administration, thirteen months after the country's collapse. On Friday, Prime Minister-designate Nagib Mikati stated that he had achieved a political consensus on his prospective cabinet's composition. After his predecessor, Saad Hariri, threw thrown the towel, the Sunni politician and millionaire had been negotiating for over seven weeks.
During a speech in the presidential palace in Baabda, Nagib Mikati declared, "I am not a government, but a working team in the service of the Lebanese." "We will work together to halt the current collapse and restore Lebanon's pride and prosperity," he continued, noting that the nation has been mired in a severe economic and liquidity crisis for the last two years.
New administration in Lebanon : 24 Ministers, only one woman
This new administration is made up of 24 ministers, one of whom is a woman, the majority of whom are from civil society and have no political affiliation. Despite this, these individuals have more or less significant links to the ruling class's leaders, who are booed on the street and at the source of their appointment.
The Ministry of Finance returns in particular to Youssef Khalil, a close associate of the indomitable President of Parliament Nabih Berri and former director of the central bank's financial operations, whose actions are now being blamed for contributing to the current crisis.
The Health portfolio was also given to Firas Abiad, head of the Rafic Hariri public hospital and a key actor in the fight against Covid-19. Abdallah Bou Habib, a former Lebanese ambassador to Washington, has been appointed to the position of Foreign Minister.
Legislative Election in Lebanon : May 2022
On the black market, the Lebanese pound strengthened against the dollar in response to the news of the creation of this new executive. The Prime Minister, on the other hand, merely addressed his work plan in passing on Friday.
Nagib Mikati, in particular, stated that he would conduct parliamentary elections in May and that, in the face of the situation, he would not hesitate to appeal to international agencies and Arab nations for assistance.
Nagib Mikati said that import subsidies for essential items, which were the final safety net for three quarters of Lebanese currently living below the poverty line, will be phased off shortly owing to the Bank of Lebanon's cash reserves being depleted. In theory, they should be replaced with a system of targeted help to the poorest of the poor, but implementation is slow.
More information on these initiatives should be included in the government statement, which the new cabinet will be required to present to Parliament in the coming days. On Monday, the new executive will meet for the first time.
Source : Reuters, LesEchos