Cabinet Diab

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The Diab cabinet is the government of Lebanon under Prime Minister Hassan Diab since January 21, 2020 . As a result of mass protests against the government after the explosion in the port of Beirut , the government announced its resignation on August 10, 2020; she is executive in office until new elections.

Government formation

The previous government, led by Saad Hariri , resigned on October 29, 2019 as a result of the protests in Lebanon that began on October 17 and which arose as a result of the economic crisis in Lebanon . President Aoun again instructed Hariri to form a government. One of the central demands of the opposition was to overcome sectarism in the country and initiate a reform process. This includes overcoming the country's power-sharing system, based on 18 recognized religious sects and going back to French colonial rule. She assigns posts to the country's communities that form the basis of their main political parties and create a delicate balance between Christians, Sunni and Shiite Muslims and other groups. For example, Lebanon's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, the supreme clergyman of the Sunni Muslims, called on Saturday (November 9th) for the formation of a new emergency government of technical experts and rulers to meet the protesters' demands.

Nomination of Mohammed Safadi

On November 14, it was reported that Executive Prime Minister Saad Hariri had reached an agreement with Hezbollah , the Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement on the nomination of ex-finance minister and businessman Mohammed Safadi for the post of prime minister. Meanwhile, Center House sources told Hariri-affiliated Mustaqbal web news portal that discussions were about consensus on Safadi's nomination, but not the form of the new government or the participation of the al-Mustaqbal movement in the discussion. Safadi was Minister of Transport and Public Buildings in the Siniora government from 2005, and Minister of Economy and Trade in the first Hariri government (2009–11).

Reuters reported on Nov. 17 that Lebanese businessman and former minister Mohammad Al-Safadi decided, according to Lebanese media, to withdraw his candidacy for prime minister, after being the main candidate for major political parties in 2005 had agreed. In a statement released by his office, Safadi, 75, said it had been difficult to create a “harmonious” cabinet supported by all parties, Reuters news agency and Lebanese media reported late Saturday.

Nomination by Samir Khatib

At the end of November 2019, the Hariri-Pareti proposed that the engineer Samir Khatib be entrusted with the management of a new government, provided that an agreement could be reached on the form of government. Samir Khatib, who has little political experience, is a successful businessman and a close friend of the current Executive Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Media reports said that the main political parties in Lebanon (Hezbollah, Amal Movement, Free Patriotic Movement and MP Saad Hariri) had agreed to elect Samir Khatib as prime minister of the next cabinet. The decision will be taken during the parliamentary consultations, which should take place in the first week of December. The new government will be techno-political and consist of 24 ministers - six political figures as ministers of state and 18 technocrats and representatives of the protest movement, media reports said on Tuesday evening (December 3) when the engineer and businessman Samir Khatib was the consensus candidate for the post of the minister-president emerged. “Ministers Ali Hassan Khalil, Mohammed Fneish and Salim Jreissati will certainly return to the new government as ministers of state, while [Parliament] speaker Nabih Berri holds on to the financial portfolio, [ex-] Prime Minister Saad Hariri on the interior portfolio and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil insists clinging to the energy portfolio, "al-Jadeed quoted TV sources.

Nomination by Hassan Diab

There were further delays in the formation of a government during December. On December 19, 2019, Hassan Diab received 69 votes in the binding parliamentary consultations. Hassan Diab, 60, a professor of computer technology, was a member of the government formed in 2011 when Hezbollah and its allies toppled a cabinet led by Saad Hariri; he was Minister of Education for three years. The international community has made the formation of a serious, reform-minded government a prerequisite for releasing aid to the country. It was not immediately clear whether Diab's appointment would satisfy the people on the streets who have been protesting for over two months and calling for a government made up of specialists. However, social media activists have rejected Diab on charges of corruption and calls have been made to protest outside his residence in the Tallet al-Kkhayat neighborhood of Beirut.

The President of Lebanon on Thursday (December 19) asked university professor Hassam Diab, a former minister supported by Hezbollah, to form a new government. Michel Aoun named Diab Prime Minister after a day of consultation after winning a simple majority in the 128-member parliament. 69 parliamentarians, including the parliamentary bloc of the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal movements , as well as a group affiliated with President Michel Aoun gave him their votes. On December 22nd, Diab expressed the hope of forming a government of around 20 ministers made up of independents and technocrats within a few weeks. Hezbollah and its allies had previously insisted that a new government be made up of politicians and experts. On Saturday (December 22nd), however, Diab declared: "All parties agree with me on a government composed of independents and experts, including Hezbollah." Since Diab does not belong to any of the major political dynasties and he is the Sunni bloc if he refused to support his predecessor Saad Hariri, "he will take up his new office without power - at a time that is overwhelming even for political veterans in chronically unstable Lebanon," wrote Moritz Baumstieger in the Süddeutsche Zeitung .

On December 30, 2019, Hezbollah and the AMAL movement agreed with Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab to form a purely technocratic government. Economist Ghazi Wazni agreed to be appointed finance minister, while Ziad Baroud is appointed minister of justice and Demianos Qattar is appointed minister of foreign affairs.

The daily newspaper The Daily Star (31 December), according to the government is made up of nine Christian ministers, including four Maronites, three Orthodox, one Catholic and one Armenian. Nine Muslim ministers are also planned, four Shiite, four Sunni and one Druze. The government was appointed on June 21, 2017.

Disagreements over the representation of the various sects still hinder the formation of Hassan Diab's government, media reports said on New Year's Day. "A Druze obstacle emerged yesterday after Walid Jumblat, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, and other (Druze) officials criticized that they will be represented by the non-essential environmental portfolio," reported the An-Nahar newspaper on Sunday. "The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Jebran Bassil, has insisted that the (only) Druze minister (in the 18-seat government) work with his ally, MP Talal Arslan," the daily added. Bassil fears that a Druze minister near Jumblat could later resign, thereby undoing the government of its Druze component and, consequently, its conformity with the 1943 National Pact, an unwritten agreement that laid the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-denominational state, is robbed. The candidate proposed for ministerial office is doctor Ramzi Msharrafiyeh, An-Nahar reported. In the meantime, Diab has not been able to find any Sunni candidates from the capital Beirut. Dr. Tarek Mohammed al-Majzoub, who is from Sidon, is currently being considered for the education portfolio after Dr. Halima Qaaqour, a Watani coalition activist, was unwilling to take part in the government. Meanwhile, they've dropped chances of two retired officers - Bassem Khaled and Hosni Hence - the daily added. The parties are now seriously considering retiring Brigadier General Mohammed Fahmi for the post of Interior Minister. Retired officers are also being considered for the defense portfolio after Shadi Masaad was completely ruled out as a cast. The sources also noted that the Shiite parties - Hezbollah and AMAL - insist on appointing Jamil Jabaq and Hasan al-Laqqis in case Bassil persists in allowing Nada Bustani and Mansour Bteish to return to government.

On Wednesday (January 15), final obstacles to the formation of the new government were resolved with the approval of the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Jebran Bassil, after which Demianos Qattar was assigned the work portfolio, LBCI TV said. The government is expected to be announced on Jan. 17, the broadcaster added. As a result, the occupation consists of 18 ministers, including four women. The "Shiite duo" received five portfolios after merging the agriculture portfolio with the culture or information portfolio, knowing that Walid Jumblat, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, will not attend, LBCI added. Accordingly, Ghazi Wazni is to take over the financial portfolio, Nassif Hitti the external portfolio, Talal al-Ladqi for the internal portfolio and Michel Menassa the defense portfolio, the latter also acting as deputy prime minister. President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement, meanwhile, will receive the energy portfolio (Raimond Ghajar), the economy (a member of the Haddad family), justice (Marie-Claude Najem) and the environment (Manal Musallem). Meanwhile, the Marada movement receives the public works portfolio (Lamia Yammine Doueihi) while the Tashnag party receives the tourism and culture portfolio or the tourism and information portfolio. In the meantime, Diab will appoint the Sunni ministers (Talal al-Ladqi for the interior, Talal Hawat for telecommunications and Tarek Majzoub for sports and youth).

More than a month after his appointment and almost three months after the resignation of his predecessor Saad Hariri under pressure from the demonstrators, the cabinet of 20 ministers of Prime Minister Hassan Diab was announced on Tuesday (January 21). The academic and former education minister, little known in Lebanon until last month, insisted in his first remarks as prime minister that his cabinet was a technocratic one that wanted to meet protesters' demands. "This is a government that represents the aspirations of the protesters who have been mobilizing across the country for more than three months," he said. His government will endeavor to comply with their demands for an independent judiciary, for the recovery of misappropriated funds and for the fight against illegal profits. Diab added that the government will fight unemployment and pass a new electoral law calling every minister in his cabinet a "technocratic" minister.

Initial composition

The line-up of the cabinet was announced after 33 days of negotiations following a meeting of Diab, President Michel Aoun and Spokesman Nabih Berri in the Baabda Palace on January 22, 2020.

On August 9, 2020, Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad announced her resignation after the protests in the wake of the disaster in the port of Beirut 2020. Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti had resigned shortly before the explosion, referring to the lack of "effective will to achieve comprehensive structural reform" and a competing leadership. Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni and Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm announced their resignation on August 10, 2020 . Prime Minister Hassan Diab also informed President Aoun on August 10, 2020 that he and his cabinet intended to resign shortly. That evening he made a televised address announcing his resignation and that of his cabinet.

Office Official Affiliation Beginning of the term of office Term expires
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Hassan Diab Sunni January 21, 2020 August 10
Deputy Prime Minister Zeina Akar Greek Orthodox, appointed by the President / FPM January 21, 2020 August 10
minister
Judiciary Marie-Claude Najem Maronite, appointed by the President / FPM January 21, 2020 August 10, 2020
Foreign Affairs Nassif Hitti
Charbel Wehbe 		Maronite, appointed by the President / FPM January 21, 2020
August 3, 2020		 August 3, 2020
-
defense Zeina Akar Greek Orthodox, appointed by the President / FPM January 21, 2020 August 10
Home affairs and communities Mohammed Fahmi Sunni, named by Diab January 21, 2020 August 10
economy and trade Raoul Nehmé appointed by the President / FPM January 21, 2020 August 10
Finances Ghazi Wazni Shiite, named by the AMAL movement January 21, 2020 August 10, 2020
energy Raymond Ghajar Greek Orthodox, appointed by the President / FPM January 21, 2020 August 10
Environment and administrative development Demianos Qattar Maronite, named by Diab January 21, 2020 August 10
Tourism and Social Ramzi Moucharrafiyeh druse January 21, 2020 August 10
job Lamia Yammine Maronite, named by the Marada movement January 21, 2020 August 10
Education and higher education Tarek al-Majzoub Sunni, named by Diab January 21, 2020 August 10, 2020
Industry and Commerce Imad Hoballah Shiite, named by Hezbollah January 21, 2020 August 10
telecommunications Talal Hawat Sunni, near MP Faisal Karami January 21, 2020 August 10
information Manal Abdel Samad Druze January 21, 2020 August 9, 2020
Public works and transportation Michel Najjar Greek Orthodox, named by the Marada movement January 21, 2020 August 10
Agriculture and culture Abbas Mortada Shiite, named by AMAL January 21, 2020 August 10
Youth and sport Vartene Ohanian Armenians January 21, 2020 August 10
health Hamad Hassan Shiite, named by Hezbollah January 21, 2020 August 10
Displaced persons Ghada Chreim Ata Greek Orthodox, appointed by President Aoun and FPM January 21, 2020 August 10
Other officials
Secretary General of the Cabinet Mahmoud Makieh January 21, 2020 August 10

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lebanon's prime minister justifies his resignation . In: Spiegel.de from August 10, 2020.
  2. ↑ Lebanon's grand mufti calls for protesters' demands to be met. Reuters, November 9, 2019, accessed November 11, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Reports: Hariri Agrees with Hizbullah, FPM, AMAL on Naming Mohammed Safadi as PM. Naharnet, November 14, 2019, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  4. ^ Safadi No Longer Wants to Become Prime Minister of Lebanon. The 961, October 17, 2019, accessed November 17, 2019 .
  5. ^ Lebanon's Safadi withdraws PM candidacy. Al Jazeera, October 16, 2019, accessed November 16, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Khatib Chances Reportedly Surge as He Says Hariri Talks Not Negative. Naharnet, November 28, 2019, accessed November 29, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Samir Khatib favorite for PM as Hariri bows out. The Daily Star, November 27, 2019, accessed November 29, 2019 .
  8. ^ Everything You Need to Know About the Engineer Nominated for Prime Minister of Lebanon. The 961, November 28, 2019, accessed November 29, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Hassan Diab Garners 69 votes in Binding Parliamentary Consultations. Naharnet, December 10, 2019, accessed December 10, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Lebanon president Aoun names former minister Diab next PM. Al Ahram, December 19, 2019, accessed December 19, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Bassem Mroue: New Lebanon Leader Begins Talks Over Next Cabinet. Bloomberg, December 22, 2019, accessed December 23, 2019 .
  12. ↑ Moritz Baumstieger: 136 pages curriculum vitae - Lebanon's designated Prime Minister Hassan Diab is not lacking the urge to be recognized, but possibly the power to lead the unstable country into quieter times. Süddeutsche Zeitung, December 20, 2019, accessed on December 24, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Report: 'Shiite Duo' Agrees to Formation of Technocrat Govt. Naharnet, December 30, 2019, accessed December 31, 2019 .
  14. ^ Report: Political Parties Agree on Cabinet of 18 Portfolios. Naharnet, December 31, 2019, accessed December 31, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: ectarian Obstacles Hinder Formation of New Govt. Naharnet, January 1, 2020, accessed January 1, 2020 .
  16. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Reports: Govt. Obstacles Resolved, Line-Up to be Announced Friday. Naharnet, January 15, 2020, accessed on January 16, 2020 .
  17. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Diab: Govt. Will Seek to Meet Protesters Demands, Recover Stolen Funds. Naharnet, January 21, 2020, accessed on January 22, 2020 .
  18. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: New Lebanese Government Formed after 3 Months of Political Vacuum. Naharnet, January 22, 2020, accessed on January 22, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Message at Pressfrom.info
  20. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Abdul Samad Quits in First Govt. Resignation over blast. Naharnet, August 9, 2020, accessed on August 10, 2020 .
  21. ↑ Naharnet Newsdesk: Finance Minister Quits in 4th Govt. Resignation. Naharnet, August 10, 2020, accessed on August 10, 2020 .
  22. ↑ Lebanese Minister of Justice resigns. ORF, August 10, 2020, accessed on August 10, 2020 .
  23. ↑ Lebanon's PM Diab tells President Aoun of plan to resign after Beirut blast: Reports. Al Arabiya, August 10, 2020, accessed August 10, 2020 .