Lebanese government wins confidence vote

Record ID: 162575

  • Title: Lebanese government wins confidence vote
  • Date: 28th December 2016
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF LEBANESE PARLIAMENT BUILDING VARIOUS OF LEBANESE FLAG ON TOP OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING PARLIAMENT IN SESSION PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, NABIH BERRI, AND NEW GOVERNMENT MEMBERS SEATED DURING SESSION VARIOUS OF SESSION IN PROGRESS LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER, SAAD AL-HARIRI, ADDRESSING PARLIAMENT
  • Embargoed: 12th January 2017 12:57
  • Keywords: Lebanon Parliament confidence vote Saad al-Hariri
  • Location: BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • City: BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015ESPPAT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 / PART AUDIO AS INCOMING
    Lebanon's parliament passed a vote of confidence on Wednesday (December 28) in the country's new government led by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.
    The vote comes after Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for a three-day session to discuss the government's policy statement. The debate began on Tuesday (December 27).
    MPs spoke on the first day following a speech by Hariri, who addressed the parliament again on Wednesday replying to their comments.
    Eighty-seven of 92 Mps voted in favour of the government, with one member abstaining.
    After months of political paralysis, President Michel Aoun and Hariri formed a new government two weeks ago of 30 ministers drawn from most sides of the country's political spectrum and from all of its religious sects.
    The Minister of State for Planning Affairs, Michel Pharaon, said the government can now get on with the work that needs to be done.
    "We shouldn't forget that we moved from a presidential void with paralysis in government and parliament to a presidential election followed by assigning a Prime Minister and forming a government. Today, the government as well as the parliament can start work. The priority will surely be for an electoral law that allows (parliamentary) elections in Lebanon two years after postponing it. This is going to be essential, in addition to all the files that were pending,'' he said.
    Lebanon has had a caretaker government for more than two years, led by former prime minister Tammam Salam, contributing to a political crisis that has weakened government services.
    Among the main cabinet posts, Gebran Bassil, a Christian and ally of Aoun, stays on as foreign minister, while Ali Hassan Khalil, a member of the Shi'ite Amal party to which Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri belongs, remains as finance minister.
    Nouhad Machnouk, a Sunni Muslim and member of Hariri's Future Movement, retains his post as interior minister.
    The new defence minister Yacoub al-Sarraf is a political ally of Aoun. The other important post, energy and water minister, went to Cesar Abou Khalil.
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