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Friday,29 March, 2024
President Aoun and Premier Mikati signed the government formation decree.
President Aoun and Premier Mikati signed the government formation decree.
10/09/2021

President Aoun: “A government is the best that can be reached and is able to work. Our concerns lie in the priority of solving people’s current problems”.

 

President Aoun: “We will begin to address the people’s current problems and all that the calamities which struck Lebanon, in addition to the results of bad governance for over 30 years. We will emerge from this chasm”.

 

President Berri: “From now on, let’s get to good work”.

 

Premier Mikati: “We, in cooperation with His Excellency the President, have formed a government. We are forming a working group that works as one, and we will work according to the principle that we are for the whole country, not for one group against another, according to the provisions of the National Accord Document and the Constitution”.

 

Premier Mikati: “I hope that the government will be able to advance the country and achieve people’s aspirations”.

 

Prime Minister Mikati pledged to hold the parliamentary and municipal elections on time”.

 

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, signed the government-formation decree, this afternoon at the Presidential Palace, forming a government of twenty-four ministers.

The President described the government as “The best which can be reached and is able to work.

“Constitutional matters contributed to delaying the formation a little, but we have preserved the constitution and the traditions of formation. Our concerns lie in the priority of solving people’s current problems, and we have great responsibilities. We have to work to develop and get out of the current crisis that put us in the marshes and all that the calamities that struck Lebanon have left us. We must not forget that the results of bad governance over 30 years were cumulative, in addition to the great calamities that befell the country” President Aoun added.

For his part, Premier Mikati said “We are forming a working group that works as one to prevent frustration and despair, and we will work with hope and determination in accordance with the principle that we are for the whole of the country and not for one group against another, in accordance with the provisions of the National Accord Document, the Lebanese Constitution and the laws in force”.

PM Mikati also pledged to hold the parliamentary and municipal elections on time. Concerning what is known as “blocking third veto”, Mikati said “We do not want anyone to disrupt, and whoever wants to disrupt, let him leave the government, and bear the responsibility for his actions”.

President Aoun had met PM Mikati at Baabda Palace, and deliberated with him the latest contacts, the path of the process and the formation of the government.

Afterwards Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, joined the meeting and later the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Judge Mahmoud Makkiyeh, was summoned. Judge Makkiyeh, read the decrees.

At 2:30, Speaker Berri left the Presidential Palace, and only said to the journalists “From now on, let’s get to good work”, while the President resumed his meeting with the Prime Minister.

Government-Formation Decree:

At 2:30pm, decrees were issued accepting the resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government, naming PM Najib Mikati as new Prime Minister, for the formation of the new government.

The first two decrees were signed by President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, while the third was signed by President Aoun and PM Mikati.

Decrees were read by the Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers as follows:

-Decree No. 8374 - Considering the government headed by Mr. Hassan Diab as resigned:

“The President of the Republic,

Pursuant to the Constitution, in particular Clause 5 of Article 53 thereof and Clause (A) of Clause 1 of Article 69 thereof,

Draws the following:

Article 1: The government headed by Mr. Hassan Diab has resigned.

Article 2: This decree shall be published and notified as needed, and shall be enforced immediately upon its issuance.

Baabda, 10/9/2021, President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun”.

 

-Decree No. 8375 - Nomination of Mr. Mohammad Najib Azmi Mikati as Prime Minister:

“The President of the Republic,

Pursuant to the Constitution, in particular Clause 3 of Article 53 thereof,

Pursuant to Decree No. 8374 dated 10/9/2021, which includes considering the government headed by Mr. Hassan Diab resigned,

Draws the following:

Article 1: Mr. Mohammad Najib Azmi Mikati shall be named Prime Minister.

Article 2: This decree shall be published and notified as needed, and shall be enforced immediately upon its issuance.

Baabda on 10/9/2021

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun”.

-Decree 8376 - Government Formation:

“The President of the Republic,

Pursuant to the Constitution, in particular Clause 4 of Article 53 thereof,

Pursuant to Decree No. 8375 dated 10/9/2021, which includes naming Mr. Mohammad Najib Azmi Mikati as Prime Minister,

On the proposal of the Prime Minister,

Draws the following:

Article 1: Appointing Messrs.:

Mohammad Najib Azmi Mikati, Prime Minister

Souada Al-Shami, Deputy Prime Minister

Abdullah Bou Habib, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

Abbas Al-Halabi, Minister of Education and Higher Education

George Al Kordahi, Minister of Information

Henry Khoury, Minister of Justice

George Kallas, Minister of Youth and Sports

Maurice Slim as Minister of National Defense

Issam Sharaf El-Din, Minister of the Displaced

Youssef Al-Khalil, Minister of Finance

Najla Riachi, Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs

Hector El Hajjar, Minister of Social Affairs

Kork, known as George Bushkian, as Minister of Industry

Johnny Qurum, Minister of Communications

Walid Nassar, Minister of Tourism

Bassam Mawlawi, Minister of Interior and Municipalities

Firas Al-Abyad, Minister of Public Health

Walid Fayyad, Minister of Energy and Water

Mohamed Wissam Mortada, Minister of Culture

Nasser Yassin, Minister of Environment

Mustafa Bayram, Minister of Labor

Abbas Hajj Hassan, Minister of Agriculture

Ali Hamiya, Minister of Public Works and Transport

Amin Salam, Minister of Economy and Trade

 

Article 2: This decree shall be published where needed, and shall be enforced upon issuance.

The government was called to take a memorial photo with His Excellency the President, His Excellency the Speaker of Parliament and His Excellency the Prime Minister, at 11:00am next Monday, followed by a session of the Council of Ministers headed by His Excellency the President at Baabda Palace.

PM Mikati’s Statement:

“It has been 13 months since the previous government’s resignation, and on this occasion I salute PM Hassan Diab for what he did during the previous phase and the difficulties involved.

Usually, after the formation of the government, the Prime Minister recites a written statement outlining the policy and direction of his government, but today the situation is exceptional and I will say a word from the heart.

Who among us does not know the situation and the state of the country. All are affected by the current situation. There are mothers who shorten doses of milk from five to three doses because infant formula is missing.

Little ones ask their fathers whether we will go to school or not. Little ones tell their fathers, my cousin Hajjar and our neighbors traveled, so why don’t we leave the country too.

The father is silent because of his incapability, while he has no disposal to his bank accounts if he has an account, and if he can get a portion of his salary, this does not constitute 10 percent of what it was a year ago.

The mother spoke and there is nothing wrong with her, if her eldest son left the country, the tear will be the same and she is unable to buy a Panadol pill, because it is not available. This reality we all know and feel. The situation is very difficult, but it is not impossible to solve it if we, the Lebanese, join hands and unite efforts.

In cooperation with His Excellency the President, we formed a government, the preparation of which took some time, and perfection is for God, but I assure you that we are forming a working team that works as one to prevent frustration and despair.

We will work with hope and determination. This is what I promise you today, and we will not save again unless we will contact all international bodies in order to be able to secure the simplest matters of life that have become essential, we will work according to the principle that we belong to the whole country and not to one group against another, in accordance with the provisions of the National Accord Document, the Lebanese Constitution and the laws in force.

I am sure that nothing will be interrupted between the Arab world and Lebanon. Lebanon belongs to this world and is proud of its brothers and sisters, and they will never leave Lebanon. In conclusion, God, by His permission, will be with me”.

Questions & Answers:

Then the following dialogue took place between PM Mikati and journalists:

Question: Have you obtained guarantees that the government will obtain confidence in the Parliament?

Answer: “It is enough for us to argue today about one-third, two-thirds, three-eighths and others. Please leave politics aside for now, we will work together in government and will be a workshop to secure the minimum required for the people. This is what is required today. I assure you that the ministers will help me build Lebanon and return it to where it should be. They are ready to contribute to the revival of the country. As for the phrase “the blocking third veto”, I say we do not want anyone to disrupt, and whoever wants to block, let him leave the government, and bear the responsibility for his work. Today we are talking about a workshop, and I have a word to address to the media. Brothers, "a word of tenderness and a word of madness", please, we want to raise the morale of the people and, together, contribute to stopping the frustration we are living in. A sweet word is mercy, and have mercy on those on earth, and those in the heavens will have mercy on you. If we spread love between us, affection and mercy, God will reward us with good”.

Question: What about confidence in the parliament?

Answer: “His Excellency the President assured me that he will communicate with the Strong Lebanon Bloc, which will inevitably give confidence to the government”.

Question: According to the French initiative, ministers are supposed to be independent specialists. Aren’t you afraid that some non-independent ministers will hinder the government's work?

Answer: “At this particular stage, there will be a revival workshop with the participation of everyone. I cannot exclude anyone who likes to participate in the government. It is true that the ministers have their affiliations, perhaps, but they are specialists, and we need everyone’s participation. We cannot bring in specialists who do not belong to any party, and say that we want to address the problems at hand. I can’t go to the International Monetary Fund, get the government’s approval of an agreement with it, and then the agreement stops somewhere else. Therefore, at this particular stage, we are compelled to do what we did, if we really want to get out of this situation. We have eight months, from now until May 21, to be able to implement what is required of us. I ask you to bear with us, and I said that perfection belongs to God, but the entire work team that I formed will, God willing, be determined to work hard all the time”.

Question: What about the club of former Prime Ministers?

Answer: “Communication with members is continuing, and they have given me their confidence. As long as I work under the roof of the constitution and the Taif Accord, and do what pleases my conscience, and they are sure of that, I do not think they have any fault with this matter. The important thing for them is to form a government, because they are fully aware of where the failure to form a government has led us so far. Even an association cannot function without a board of directors, so how can a country be run without a government?”.

Question: Does this government pledge to hold the parliamentary elections on time? Will you run for the parliamentary elections?

Answer: “People are full of words and promises. I pledge from here and inevitably the implementation of this constitutional entitlement. I pledge to hold the parliamentary elections on time, as well as the municipal elections on the same day. This is what I pledge, and this is my intention, and I will insist on carrying out the elections on their scheduled date, that is, on Sunday, May 8, 2022. As for my candidacy for the parliamentary elections, I will announce it in due course”.

Question: Does the government have a practical plan to confront the difficult situation, or will it rely only on foreign aid?

Answer: “Of course, there is a plan that the government will implement, and it will be put forward as soon as possible to save the country. As for the lifting of subsidies, today we have reached the end, from where will we get the dollars to continue subsidies? We have no desire to lift these subsidies, but there is no money left. This is not our desire, but we no longer have any reserves or funds to help, so we all have to put up with it. Today, we are in a plane that is making a quick emergency landing, and what we ask of the passengers, the Lebanese, is to tighten their seat belts so that we can take off quickly. Everyone’s seat belts are tugged because we’re in a tough situation. People should know that now is not the time for entertainment and prosperity, but hopefully we will soon change the course of the plane.

Question: The Syrian state has expressed a desire to cooperate with Lebanon in the field of supplying it with electric power. What is your position?

Answer: “We would deal with anyone, with the exception of Israel, of course. This government is in the interest of Lebanon. I deal with any party that extends a hand to Lebanon for the sake of Lebanon and the Lebanese interest”.

President Aoun:

Then President Aoun had a chat with accredited journalists at Baabda Palace, where he was briefed on their conditions and answered their questions.

The President considered that the government “Is the best that can be reached, and that it is able to work, but our concerns lie in the priority of solving people’s current problems, and we have great responsibilities and we have to work. Let’s evolve and get out of the current crisis”.

In response to what was said about him obtaining the blocking third veto in the government, President Aoun denied this and said “We are not thinking about this matter. It was a political war on us, and we took what was necessary. As for the important thing, it lies in consensus in the work, which will be the first reason for success”.

On the possibility of giving the “Strong Lebanon” bloc confidence, President Aoun made it clear that confidence is given to the government’s program.

President Aoun also clarified that constitutional matters contributed to delaying the formation a little, but we preserved the constitution and the traditions of composition, until we reached formation.

“As for the basic problems, we will begin to address them, the most important of which are the people’s concerns regarding gasoline, diesel, and bread...and all that the calamities that struck Lebanon. And we must not forget that the results of bad governance over 30 years were cumulative, and to them were added the great calamities that befell this country, in addition to strikes, the Corona pandemic and the explosion of the port of Beirut” the President stated.

In addition, President Aoun pointed out that the siege suffered by Lebanon was tantamount to a war, as a financial blockade was imposed because of Hezbollah, and the problems caused by the Syrian war on Lebanon distanced it from its surroundings and the vital region for it towards the Arab countries.

Regarding the relationship with Syria, President Aoun considered that the course of normal events necessitates the return of relations with Syria, and that no one is going backwards but forwards, and peace is before us, not behind us.

As for the issue of Lebanon and its use of the term “Hell”, President Aoun indicated that what he had said in the past was misinterpreted, either out of ignorance or on purpose, because the word came at the time in response to the question, “Where will we go?” My answer was: “To hell, and we have already lived through the situation. But we will come out of this great chasm and solve the problems”.

The President reiterated what he had promised in terms of making a difference in the last year of his term.

As for the drop in the dollar exchange rate, President Aoun saw that the money changers had run out of money, and they had to bring in the Lebanese money to complete it.​