Region | Lebanon

New Lebanese cabinet list awaits Sa'ad approval

The new Lebanese government is expected to be announced in the next two days, according to political sources.

  • Gulf News Report
  • Published: 00:02 July 7, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: The new Lebanese government is expected to be announced in the next two days, according to political sources.

The cabinet line-up is "almost finalised" and waiting for the arrival of Sa'ad Al Hariri, the leader of the parliamentary majority, who is on a private visit to Saudi Arabia, the sources added.

On Saturday, Prime Minister-designate Fouad Siniora said there was "progress" in his efforts to form the new government, in which the opposition, led by Hezbollah, would have a blocking minority.

"I am continuing [efforts] to form the government and I am confident that during a short period of time we will form the government," he was quoted by Reuters as saying after talks with Christian opposition leader and Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun.

Aoun and other opposition leaders have submitted the names of their 11 representatives in the cabinet. "It is now the turn of the majority to present the names of their ministers," said the sources.

According to the Qatari-brokered Doha Agreement, singed on May 21, which pulled the country back from the brink of a new civil war, the majority, led by Al Hariri would get 16 seats in the new government.

The newly-elected President Michel Sulaiman would name three ministers, including the ministers of defence and interior.

Lebanese media on Sunday said the consultations to finalise the names of the ministers who belong to Al Hariri camp might take some time.

"There are too many names but only few seats," said the London-based Al Hayat newspaper. The daily said the Christian parties in the majority all want to be represented, an almost impossible task according to what was agreed in Doha.

Possible candidates

According to media reports, the new Lebanese government would comprise 30 ministers. The widely-expected members are:

- Fouad Siniora: Prime Minister and minister of finance

- Essam Abu Jamra, Deputy PM

- Elias Al Murr, defence

- Ziad Baroud, interior

- Fawzi Salloukh, foreign affairs

- Ebrahim Al Najjar, justice

- Bahia Al Hariri, education

- Mohammad Al Safadi, public works

- Jibran Basil, communication

- Mario Aoun, social affairs

- Alan Tabourian, energy

- Elie Skaff, agriculture

- Mohammad Fneish, labour

- Hussain Haj Hassan, youth & sport

- Mohammad Khalifa, health

- Mahmoud Berri, industry

- Gazi Al Aridi, information

- Nema Toma, displaced & refugees

- Belal Hamad, tourism

- Roger Nesnas, minister of state

- Talal Arslan, minister of state

- Wael Abu Faour, minister of state

- Jean Ogasbian, minister of state

Seven posts, belonging to the majority, are yet to be decided by the Al Hariri-led block, according to reports.

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