Lebanon Forms New Government, 1st in Over a Year
Voice of America
BEIRUT - Lebanese factions formed a new government on Friday, breaking a 13-month deadlock that saw the country slide deeper into financial chaos and poverty.
Lebanon has been without a fully empowered government since the catastrophic Aug. 4, 2020 explosion at Beirut port, which forced the resignation of then Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government. Rival political groups had been locked in disagreement over the make-up of a new government since then, hastening the country’s economic meltdown. The new Cabinet of 24 ministers headed by billionaire businessman Najib Mikati was announced by the president's office, and later by the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Mahmoud Makkieh. Ministers were handpicked by the same politicians who have ruled the country for the past decades and whose corruption and mismanagement many blame for the country’s current crisis. The new government announced Friday faces a mammoth task that few believe can be surmounted, including undertaking critically needed reforms. Among its first jobs will be overseeing a financial audit of the Central Bank, and resuming negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a rescue package to stem the country’s collapse. The new Cabinet is also expected to oversee general elections scheduled for next year.India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) greets supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during his election campaign rally in Prayagraj, northern India, on May 21, 2024. People queue up to vote outside a polling booth during the fifth round of multi-phase national election in Howrah, India, May 20, 2024. Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wear party headwear and cut out masks India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally attended by Modi in Prayagraj on May 21, 2024.
FILE PHOTO: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te's inauguration ceremony at the Presidential office building in Taipei Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te, right, and former President Tsai Ing-wen wave during Lai's inauguration ceremonies in Taipei, Taiwan, May 20, 2024.
FILE - A boy waves a Palestinian flag in Barcelona, Spain, on Jan. 20, 2024. European Union countries Spain and Ireland as well as Norway on Wednesday announced dates for recognizing Palestine as a state. A ship transporting international humanitarian aid is moored at the US-built Trident Pier near Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on May 21, 2024.
People queue up to vote outside a polling booth during the fifth round of multi-phase national election in Howrah, India, May 20, 2024. A woman carrying her daughter leaves after casting vote in a polling station during the fifth round of multi-phase national elections in Mumbai, India, May 20, 2024.
Ukrainian servicemen of the 92nd separate assault brigade load shells in an M109 self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region, Ukraine May 20, 2024. In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on May 21, 2024, a Russian crew prepares a Tu-22M3 bomber for a training mission as part of drills to train the military for using tactical nuclear weapons at an undisclosed location in Russia.