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24-Minister Cabinet Announced after 11-Month Deadlock
24-Minister Cabinet Announced after 11-Month Deadlock
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam announced on Saturday the formation of a 24-minister cabinet, ten months and a week after his appointment.
The ministers have been distributed equally between the rival March 8 and 14 camps and centrists of President Michel Suleiman, Salam, and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.
The government formation efforts were facilitated when former Prime Minister Saad Hariri voiced his bloc's willingness on January 17 to join a government of national unity with Hizbullah and its allies, despite its strong opposition to the group's military intervention in Syria.
The Lebanese Forces of the Marc 14 camp was not granted any ministers after it had announced its boycott of a cabinet that includes members of Hizbullah.
The line-up was revealed after a meeting on Saturday morning between Suleiman, Salam, and Speaker Nabih Berri at the Baabda Palace.
The formation of the cabinet should help ease fears that over the postponement of the presidential elections that are scheduled for spring.
Suleiman's term ends in May.
The main obstacles in the formation of the cabinet in recent weeks lied in Free Patriotic Movement's rejection to relinquish the Energy Ministry portfolio and Hizbullah's appointment of former Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi as interior minister.
The line-up is as follows:
Prime Minister: Tammam Salam
Sovereign:
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister: Samir Moqbel (Orthodox - centrist)
Interior Minister: Nouhad Mashnouq (Sunni - March 14)
Foreign Minister: Jebran Bassil (Maronite – March 
Finance Minister: Ali Hassan Khalil (Shiite – March 
March 14
Telecommunications Minister: Butros Harb (Maronite)
Labor Minister: Sejaan Azzi (Maronite)
Tourism Minister: Michel Pharaon (Catholic)
Economy Minister: Alain Hakim (Catholic)
Justice Minister: Ashraf Rifi (Sunni)
State Minister for Administrative Reform: Nabil De Freij (Minorities)
Social Affairs Minister: Rashid Derbas (Sunni)
March 8
Public Works and Transportation: Ghazi Zoaiter (Shiite)
State Minister for Parliament Affairs: Mohammed Fneish (Shiite)
Industry Minister: Hussein al-Hajj Hassan (Shiite) Industry
Culture Minister: Rony Araiji (Maronite)
Energy Ministry: Arthur Nazarian (Armenian Orthodox)
Education Minister: Elias Bou Saab
Centrists
Environment Minister: Mohammed al-Mashnouq (Sunni)
Youth and Sports Minister: Abdul Motleb al-Hennawi (Shiite)
Health Minister: Wael Abou Faour (Druze)
Agriculture Minister: Akram Shehayyeb (Druze)
Displaced Minister: Alice Chabtini
Information Minister: Ramzi Greij
What a crap lineup. All the wrong people in the wrong ministries. Also who is this Ramzi Greig? Is this the 3rd orthodox minister?
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3adel, interior and Telecom
WOW
Ma7kame?
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I do not understand this line up. How the hell did HA allow M14 to take these three ministries?
Harb for Telecommunications?
Nouhad for Interior?
3adel Rifi? Ma32oule wlo.
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We're the 35th iranian province...
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HARIRI Just few Months Ago. ?? 
?? ?? 
??
?
Ah, few months later, its okay Geagea just stay out of the governemant, Mane fadilak hala3, I am playing Play Station with Tammam Salam and Hizb Alla and GMA.
We told you, let the Christians be strong, you dont know when Sunnas or Shi3as turn the table on you, bas NO , Samir runs away from Orthodox Law, then hariri throws him out.
Hizb Alla couldn't form a government unles Aoun was Satisfied, but Geagea was nothing for Future movement they didnt even consider him.
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Originally Posted by
alsa3our
We're the 35th iranian province...
what a joke of a government. thank god the LF didn't join this charade. they did the right move.
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Originally Posted by
Gardian
HARIRI Just few Months Ago. ?? 
?? ?? 
??
?
Ah, few months later, its okay Geagea just stay out of the governemant, Mane fadilak hala3, I am playing Play Station with Tammam Salam and Hizb Alla and GMA.
We told you, let the Christians be strong, you dont know when Sunnas or Shi3as turn the table on you, bas NO , Samir runs away from Orthodox Law, then hariri throws him out.
Hizb Alla couldn't form a government unles Aoun was Satisfied, but Geagea was nothing for Future movement they didnt even consider him.
what are you talking about? The LF are not in the government. You want to blame the formation on them? hehe
ya 3amme 11 months for Aoun getting Gebran in the foreign ministry? what a joke. Look at GMA's ministries wlo. Just look! The FM took the most important ones. Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by
lebanese1984
what are you talking about? The LF are not in the government. You want to blame the formation on them? hehe
ya 3amme 11 months for Aoun getting Gebran in the foreign ministry? what a joke. Look at GMA's ministries wlo. Just look! The FM took the most important ones. Enjoy!
I have to agree with you, Christians are weak in this government.
We really need the Orthodox Law. Do you guys understand now?
I heard that this governemant will be a door for Hariri next on PM chair and GMA on Presidency.
The next era may be an era of an agreement paper between Hariri - Aoun
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I have to agree with you, Christians are weak in this government.
We really need the end of Persian hegemony. Do you guys understand now?
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So if one defies a direct presidential order, and forbids the telecom minister from entering into a telecom ministry chamber, he becomes minister of justice.
And sahnaoui does excellent work and is set aside.
OneIsManyIsOne
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