March 14 Obtains 9 Ministers in New Cabinet as Questions are Raised over 'Centrist' Hennawi
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.
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