The new Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati has announced the formation of a new government. Miqati said the 14-member cabinet aims to represent all groups in Lebanon.
Miqati kept Mahmoud Hamoud in his post as foreign minister and minister of expatriates, garnering criticism from groups opposed to the Syrian regime. The Reform Party of Syria said he is very close to Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq A-Shara’ indicating that Syria is still meddling in Lebanese affairs.
The new cabinet includes two new ministers – Hasan ‘Akif Saba’ is the new minister of interior and municipalities and senior judge Khalid Qabbani is minister of justice.
Tarad Kanj Hamada, who holds the labor and agriculture portfolios, is known for his close ties with the Shi’ite terror organization Hizbullah, but Hizbullah officials said this does not mean he is the party’s representative in the government.
Miqati admitted there have been reservations concerning his government from the opposition but he stressed the importance of national unity. “We have the same goal and that is the national Lebanese goal and to ensure that elections will take place.”
None of the ministers in the new cabinet plan to run in the upcoming elections. The cabinet plans to hold its first meeting on Wednesday.
Miqati is a pro-Syrian former public works minister and was elected prime minister last week by President Emile Lahoud. He intends to remain in office until the parliamentary elections in Lebanon slated for May.
He is considered a close friend of Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad.
He has said the new government will supervise the elections and also facilitate the work of an international committee probing the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri.
Al-Hariri’s death on February 14 generated mass anti-Syrian demonstrations in Lebanon which caused the government to resign two weeks later and put the country in political turmoil.
Syrian troops are meanwhile continuing to leave the neighboring Lebanon and reports say only 1,000 soldiers are still deployed in Lebanon, down from the previous 15,000.