Adib vows to form govt of 'specialists' to enact reforms
Armed with the support of a parliamentary majority, Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib pledged Monday he would form a new government of “specialists” to carry out reforms and reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to steer Lebanon out of its worst economic crisis in decades.
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri who, along with three other ex-premiers nominated Adib for the premiership, also demanded the formation of a new Cabinet made up of “specialists,” an implicit rejection of a government including politicians representing the country’s main political parties under the title of a “national unity government.”
Such unity governments, which were riven by internal rifts, had miserably failed to deliver on their promises to fight endemic corruption, curb the waste of public funds and implement long-overdue reforms needed to unlock billions of dollars in promised aid to the crises-ridden country.
However, the formation of a government of “specialists,” obviously designed to exclude political figures, threatens to put a major stumbling block in the way of Adib’s attempts to form a new Cabinet quickly.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah, who supported Adib’s nomination for prime minister, have called for an all-embracing government, including the country’s major parties.
Adib, a relatively unknown 48-year-old Lebanese diplomat and close aide to former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, was appointed as Lebanon's prime minister-designate Monday after securing 90 votes from MPs during binding parliamentary consultations held by President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace.
Adib’s designation to form a new government came hours before a new visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Beirut as part of France’s energetic efforts to help resolve Lebanon’s multiple crises, compounded by the deadly explosion that struck Beirut nearly a month ago.
Speaking to reporters at Baabda Palace after he was informed by Aoun of the outcome of the parliamentary consultations to designate a new prime minister, Adib, Lebanon's former ambassador to Germany, said there was "a need to form a government in record time and to begin implementing reforms immediately, starting with an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.”
“There is no time for talk and promises. Now is the time to work with strength and for everyone to cooperate for the sake of our nation’s recovery because there is great concern [about the country],” Adib said in his first televised address as prime minister-designate.
“God willing, we will succeed in this mission to select a homogeneous ministerial working team of competent people and specialists to carry out quickly the basic reforms to put the country on the right path,” he added. “We implore God to grant us success in quickly forming the government.”
Lebanon began talks with the IMF on a $10 billion bailout package in May, but the negotiations have been stalled by a dispute between different interest groups representing Lebanese banks and the government over the size of losses in the Central Bank.
Among the tough challenges facing Adib’s government, in addition to an alarming surge in coronavirus infections, is that Lebanon is also wrestling with an economic meltdown, which has been compounded by the Aug. 4 catastrophic blast that ripped through Beirut Port, left large swaths of the capital in ruins, killing nearly 200 people, injuring 7,000 and displacing about 300,000 people in the biggest explosion in Lebanon’s history.
The World Bank Group has placed the damage from the explosion at as high as $4.6 billion, with an additional $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion incurred in economic losses in the wake of the blast.
Adib’s rival, Lebanon’s former representative at the United Nations and International Court of Justice Judge Nawaf Salam raked in 16 votes, as he was nominated for prime minister by the Lebanese Forces Strong Republic bloc and independent MP Fouad Makhzoumi.
Adib was tasked with forming a new government to replace the 8-month-old Cabinet of caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who resigned on Aug. 10 under the brunt of popular outrage over the explosion, which was caused by the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate which authorities had carelessly stored in a warehouse in the port, despite numerous warnings.
Shortly after Adib was appointed, he briefly visited the Gemmayze area, one of Beirut neighborhoods badly devastated by the blast.
Speaking to a woman on Gouraud Street, Adib said “I am one of you, hopefully we will form the government as quickly as possible.” He also told onlookers that the government would not be formed with any politicians.
Adib later paid traditional visits to former premiers. He is slated to begin non-binding consultations with parliamentary blocs for the government formation Wednesday at Berri's residence in Ain al-Tineh.
Hariri called for the formation a new government which, he said, should be comprised of "specialists," but not necessarily technocrats.
“A government of specialists does not mean the specialists should be from the Future Movement or this or that party. The specialists are people who worked and succeeded in the field of business, medicine, engineering, agriculture, economy, finance or others,” Hariri told reporters after a meeting with Aoun at Baabda Palace.
Hariri said the new government should be formed quickly in order to rebuild Beirut, implement financial and economic reforms and reach a rapid agreement with the IMF “so that the international community can restore its support for our country to control the economic collapse.”
Mikati, after meetting Adib, also called for the quick formation of a government made up of “young specialists.”
Political analysts attribute the swift designation of a new prime minister to increased pressure by Macron on Lebanon’s political leaders to move ahead with the formation of a new government that would implement urgent reforms to rescue the country’s crumbling economy.
Berri also called for the “quick formation of a strong government,” which has a “clear vision on how to rebuild what has been destroyed and it should immediately begin with the necessary reforms.”
In a televised speech on the 42nd anniversary of the disappearance of Shiite spiritual leader Imam Musa Sadr, the founder of the Amal Movement, during an official visit to Libya, Berri urged for a change in Lebanon's sectarian system, calling it an “incurable disease.”
“The most dangerous thing exposed by the port disaster is the collapse of the entire political and economic system, and changes must be made to this sectarian system, as it is an incurable disease,” he said.
Berri called on all political parties to come to an agreement on several important issues, including the implementation of a civil state and an independent judiciary.
“Lebanon should work toward a civil state and there should be a non-sectarian electoral law based on turning Lebanon into a single electorate,” he said.
Berri’s call for a change in the sectarian system came a day after Aoun called for a secular state, while Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said he was open to Macron’s proposal for a new political pact in Lebanon.
Such unity governments, which were riven by internal rifts, had miserably failed to deliver on their promises to fight endemic corruption, curb the waste of public funds and implement long-overdue reforms needed to unlock billions of dollars in promised aid to the crises-ridden country.
However, the formation of a government of “specialists,” obviously designed to exclude political figures, threatens to put a major stumbling block in the way of Adib’s attempts to form a new Cabinet quickly.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah, who supported Adib’s nomination for prime minister, have called for an all-embracing government, including the country’s major parties.
Adib, a relatively unknown 48-year-old Lebanese diplomat and close aide to former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, was appointed as Lebanon's prime minister-designate Monday after securing 90 votes from MPs during binding parliamentary consultations held by President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace.
Adib’s designation to form a new government came hours before a new visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Beirut as part of France’s energetic efforts to help resolve Lebanon’s multiple crises, compounded by the deadly explosion that struck Beirut nearly a month ago.
Speaking to reporters at Baabda Palace after he was informed by Aoun of the outcome of the parliamentary consultations to designate a new prime minister, Adib, Lebanon's former ambassador to Germany, said there was "a need to form a government in record time and to begin implementing reforms immediately, starting with an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.”
“There is no time for talk and promises. Now is the time to work with strength and for everyone to cooperate for the sake of our nation’s recovery because there is great concern [about the country],” Adib said in his first televised address as prime minister-designate.
“God willing, we will succeed in this mission to select a homogeneous ministerial working team of competent people and specialists to carry out quickly the basic reforms to put the country on the right path,” he added. “We implore God to grant us success in quickly forming the government.”
Lebanon began talks with the IMF on a $10 billion bailout package in May, but the negotiations have been stalled by a dispute between different interest groups representing Lebanese banks and the government over the size of losses in the Central Bank.
Among the tough challenges facing Adib’s government, in addition to an alarming surge in coronavirus infections, is that Lebanon is also wrestling with an economic meltdown, which has been compounded by the Aug. 4 catastrophic blast that ripped through Beirut Port, left large swaths of the capital in ruins, killing nearly 200 people, injuring 7,000 and displacing about 300,000 people in the biggest explosion in Lebanon’s history.
The World Bank Group has placed the damage from the explosion at as high as $4.6 billion, with an additional $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion incurred in economic losses in the wake of the blast.
Adib’s rival, Lebanon’s former representative at the United Nations and International Court of Justice Judge Nawaf Salam raked in 16 votes, as he was nominated for prime minister by the Lebanese Forces Strong Republic bloc and independent MP Fouad Makhzoumi.
Adib was tasked with forming a new government to replace the 8-month-old Cabinet of caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who resigned on Aug. 10 under the brunt of popular outrage over the explosion, which was caused by the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate which authorities had carelessly stored in a warehouse in the port, despite numerous warnings.
Shortly after Adib was appointed, he briefly visited the Gemmayze area, one of Beirut neighborhoods badly devastated by the blast.
Speaking to a woman on Gouraud Street, Adib said “I am one of you, hopefully we will form the government as quickly as possible.” He also told onlookers that the government would not be formed with any politicians.
Adib later paid traditional visits to former premiers. He is slated to begin non-binding consultations with parliamentary blocs for the government formation Wednesday at Berri's residence in Ain al-Tineh.
Hariri called for the formation a new government which, he said, should be comprised of "specialists," but not necessarily technocrats.
“A government of specialists does not mean the specialists should be from the Future Movement or this or that party. The specialists are people who worked and succeeded in the field of business, medicine, engineering, agriculture, economy, finance or others,” Hariri told reporters after a meeting with Aoun at Baabda Palace.
Hariri said the new government should be formed quickly in order to rebuild Beirut, implement financial and economic reforms and reach a rapid agreement with the IMF “so that the international community can restore its support for our country to control the economic collapse.”
Mikati, after meetting Adib, also called for the quick formation of a government made up of “young specialists.”
Political analysts attribute the swift designation of a new prime minister to increased pressure by Macron on Lebanon’s political leaders to move ahead with the formation of a new government that would implement urgent reforms to rescue the country’s crumbling economy.
Berri also called for the “quick formation of a strong government,” which has a “clear vision on how to rebuild what has been destroyed and it should immediately begin with the necessary reforms.”
In a televised speech on the 42nd anniversary of the disappearance of Shiite spiritual leader Imam Musa Sadr, the founder of the Amal Movement, during an official visit to Libya, Berri urged for a change in Lebanon's sectarian system, calling it an “incurable disease.”
“The most dangerous thing exposed by the port disaster is the collapse of the entire political and economic system, and changes must be made to this sectarian system, as it is an incurable disease,” he said.
Berri called on all political parties to come to an agreement on several important issues, including the implementation of a civil state and an independent judiciary.
“Lebanon should work toward a civil state and there should be a non-sectarian electoral law based on turning Lebanon into a single electorate,” he said.
Berri’s call for a change in the sectarian system came a day after Aoun called for a secular state, while Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said he was open to Macron’s proposal for a new political pact in Lebanon.
