March 14 Obtains 9 Ministers in New Cabinet as Questions are Raised over 'Centrist' Hennawi
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The new government was announced on Saturday nearly 11 months after Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam's appointment, but it emerged that it is not a cabinet that distributes power equally between the rival March 8 and 14 camps and centrists as had previously been reported.
The March 14 camp obtained nine ministers in the new government, three of which went to the Phalange Party.
The party's Sejaan Azzi was appointed Minister of Labor, Ramzi Greij as Minister of Information, and Alain Hakim as Economy Minister.
The Mustaqbal bloc was granted four ministers: Nouhad Mashnouq as Interior Minister, Ashraf Rifi as Justice Minister, Nabil De Freij as State Minister for Administrative Reform, and Rashid Derbas as Social Affairs Minister.
Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb and Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon are the March 14 camp's independent representatives at the cabinet.
Questions have been raised however over the March 8 camp's distribution of portfolios.
AMAL obtained the Finance and Public Works and Transportation portfolios for Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zoaiter respectively.
Hizbullah is represented by Husein al-Hajj Hassan, as Industry Minister, and Mohammed Fneish, as State Minister for Parliament Affairs.
The Free Patriotic Movement meanwhile saw Jebran Bassil appointed as Foreign Minister and Elias Bou Saab as Education Minister.
The Marada Movement obtained the culture portfolio through Rony Araiji and the Tashnag was granted the energy ministry through Arthur Nazarian.
More questions have also been raised, this time over Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Motleb al-Hennawi who was described as a centrist and will represent President Michel Suleiman at cabinet.
Hennawi had previously been toted as a March 8 “king minister”.
Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq will take up Salam's share of the cabinet, while centrist Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat will be represented by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb and Health Minister Wael Abou Faour.
15 February 2014, 14:28
1111
Where are the geniuses who tried to blame the delay in the cabinet formation on Bassil demanding the energy ministry or Rifi insisting on the interior?
It's clear that when the orders came in, Salam got moving. He even forgot to include a female minister, so some last minute adjustments had to be sorted in Baabda. Yeah, and now try telling me he spent 10 months trying to form it.
What a joke of a government.
15 February 2014, 15:22
138
Who's responsible for the 11 month delay and where did the order come from and to whom..
"We currently accept the 9-9-6 formula for cabinet formation, but when conditions change we might no longer accept it; take advantage of the opportunity.. We are being humble by accepting this formula, and now it is your turn to be humble and accept it.” Hassan Nasrallah October 28, 2013
Ok so the culprit responsible for this criminal delay was Hassin. Then Magic 8 ball head in Tehran gave his orders, Hassin humbly accepted 8-8-8 and the ball started rolling, happily orders is orders! I guess when, as he said, the condition changed and Hassin just had to abide by that change. Then almost everyone else rolled back on their demands, et voila!
HAPPY GOVERNMENT EVERYBODY!
15 February 2014, 16:24
104
@Flamethrower know to his parents as Wilson, lucky that Dahieh ain't in Denmark.. for both Danes and Dahieh residents.
15 February 2014, 14:34
83
Absolutely disgusting, a 20+ person cabinet without a single woman.
15 February 2014, 15:35
23
@phillipo, find the list here
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/118861-24-minister-cabinet-announced-after-11-month-deadlock
15 February 2014, 14:47
00
"The Free Patriotic Movement meanwhile saw Jebran Bassil appointed as Defense Minister" ???????????????
15 February 2014, 14:47
00
دعك من الأعداد . التنافس بين القوى هل ستكون حكومت اءنجاز او حكومة تعطيل بينهم؟؟؟؟؟؟
15 February 2014, 15:30
1012
The circus are you guys here on Naharnet, instead of backing your leaders decisions you all point fingers, and curse them. This new cabinet is good for Lebanon, everybody agrees on that, just the people outside Lebanon will always want to be different.
15 February 2014, 16:18
97
Mastic you see the two unshaved men with no ties standing there? Their going to be charged by the STL. :)
15 February 2014, 16:30
94
what will change for the average lebanese citizen mystic? tell us, enlight us... will lebanon get better infrastructures? will lebanon get water? will lebanon get 24/24 electricity? will salaries rise? will poverety fall? will young people stop emigrating because there is no future here?
please tell us what will change? LOL
NOTHING: because NO ONE cares about the citizens... only sheep like you rejoice, meeh meeeh....
15 February 2014, 17:11
64
I wish no cabinet would be formed with hezbos as long as they r still in syria and not readdy to discuss arms..
Bit i hope this cabinet will bring some stability to the country...
Hezbos out of syria would also help a litle... Lets wait and see what nassrallah has to say tomorrow...
Yalla chupachups for everyone....
15 February 2014, 15:30
55
amal with finance and public works ,,now that is great news for all lebanese (not)
15 February 2014, 15:32
510
It is a great start...Now it is time to work for the Lebanese and get the economy started again.
15 February 2014, 19:01
32
So what is your solution? A civil war and another 200,000 deaths? Can't you see the chaos in Syria, the waste of innocent lives, the destruction of their economy?
In 2010 our GDP grew 8.8%, in 2013 growth is at around 2% while price inflation was at 2.6%.
These are problems that impact every single one of us. This cabinet represents whom we voted for, whether we like it or not. This is our image. This is who we are.
We must sit down together and find a modus vivendi. There is no way out.
15 February 2014, 16:39
36
@southern, you are 1000% correct, in fact our whole civil service is over inflate it's such a waste.
15 February 2014, 16:44
82
if i were M14 i would never sit with people disobeying the state...
M14 should have refused to be part of this masquerade.... too bad for them idiots....
15 February 2014, 17:11
85
did not see you object when EDL is flooded with Shia employees:)
15 February 2014, 18:04
31
Now that there is finally a government, let's see what excuses there are to prevent the issuing of the contracts for the drilling of the offshore gas fields, the income from which in a few years can completely alter the financial and economical situation of Lebanon.
15 February 2014, 18:14
73
How would the Hezbollah pious Ministers sit down with an unveiled woman?
15 February 2014, 19:29
00
electoral law based on proportionality
election of president
hope this amazing government accomplish these 2 important things
so whatever happens its a six month gov
16 February 2014, 02:26
22
Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
16 February 2014, 04:51
21
This guy thought there weren't enough ministers
Jebran Bassil “We would have hoped.. to have a council of 30 ministers to include the Syrian Social National Party, (Lebanese Democratic Party leader) MP Talal Arlsan and (Tripoli Minister Faisal) Karami.”
16 February 2014, 14:25
01
Hope I haven’t seen this movie before…the Government is formed, the issue of HA regarding its weapons is then discussed (and not before) and then comes the political deadlock with all the brutal consequences, wasting everyone’s time (and faith).
