Posted on 07/19/2005 11:13:03 AM PDT by HAL9000
Formation of a Lebanese government with the 1st participation of Hezbollah
BEIRUT - Lebanese the Prime Minister indicated Fouad Siniora formed Tuesday a government of 24 members, which obtained the downstream of president Emile Lahoud and in which the movement Shiite of Hezbollah takes part for the first time.
The composition of the government was announced with the press with the presidential palate of Baabda, close to Beirut, after the second maintenance in the day between MISTERS Lahoud and Siniora.
Mohammad Fneich, member of Hezbollah, saw themselves allotting the wallet of Energy and Faouzi Saloukh, an independent Shiite, the post of Foreign Minister.
Elias Murr, son-in-law of the president and former minister, who has escaped with an attack last week, preserve his posts of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense.
A close relation of the Head of the State, Charles Rizk, Minister for Information and Tourism in the outgoing government of Nagib Miqati, becomes Minister for Justice, a sensitive station.
It acts of the first government resulting from the legislative elections from May-June, which gave the victory to the old gathered opposition antisyrienne around the Current of the future of Saad Hariri, wire of the former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, assassinated on February 14.
This cabinet is also the first since the departure of the Syrian forces of Lebanon at the end of April, after a three decades presence.
Fouad Siniora, 62 years, a close relation of Rafic Hariri of which he was the Minister for Finance in the five teams which it had formed between 1992 and 2004, were charged on 30 June to form a government by president Lahoud.
Perhaps the hezbollah hamster can self combust and provide some energy.
A very low profile dialogue has been engaged between the US and Hezbollah through the minister Trad Hamadeh. This cabinet will face huge challenges. If the Hariri clan continues the same financial policy as before, it will be catastrophic!
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