At the head of the Lebanese government from 2016 to 2019, Saad Hariri was again appointed prime minister, Thursday, October 22, reported the presidency after the binding parliamentary consultations led by the head of state, Michel Aoun.
Mr. Hariri was chosen by a majority of 65 MPs, according to a statement read at a press conference by a senior presidential official. Supported by MPs from his bloc and by the party of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, he also obtained the backing of the Shiite AMAL party, led by Nabih Berri, the Speaker of Parliament.
Hezbollah, Shiite, on the other hand, did not nominate a candidate – the post of Prime Minister goes to a Sunni personality within the framework of the confessional sharing of power – but had shown its willingness to facilitate the process. “We are going to help preserve this positive climate”the president of his parliamentary group, Mohammed Raad, told reporters.
During the consultations, other groups or independents received by Michel Aoun gave their support to Mr. Hariri, including the former Prime Minister Tammam Salam. First Christian parliamentary bloc, the elected members of the Free Patriotic Movement (CPL) of Gebran Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law, had already indicated that they would accept his appointment. On the other hand, Georges Adwane’s Lebanese Forces bloc did not express support.
Financial crisis and corruption
Saad Hariri’s appointment comes almost a year to the day after he was forced to resign by major protests calling for a deep renewal of the national political class, accused of being incompetent and corrupt. The succeeding government, led by Hassan Diab, resigned after the explosion that devastated the port of Beirut on August 4, killing over 200 people, injuring thousands and causing massive damage to the city. capital city.
The son of the former prime minister assassinated in 2005, Rafic Hariri, had declared himself a candidate a fortnight ago. Promising a team “Experts” who are not from political parties, to lead “Financial and administrative economic reforms”, Mr. Hariri engaged in a short televised address to “Form a government quickly, because time is running out and the country is facing its only and last chance”. He will now have to tackle the reforms that are essential to hope to get the country out of the financial crisis that is hitting it and to tackle the corruption and carelessness dramatically highlighted by the disaster of August.
France, very involved in the Lebanese file, had not stopped in recent weeks to call on the Lebanese political class to ” take his responsibilities “ to avoid “Chaos and paralysis”. The release of several billion dollars of international aid essential to get the country out of the economic crisis and ease the pressure on its debt depends on the ability of the Lebanese to equip themselves with a new government.
