by middleeasteye.net —Lebanon’s incoming prime minister began the process of preparing a new government as he seeks to calm protests that have rocked the country for months. Hassan Diab was appointed on Thursday by President Michel Aoun after several weeks of political negotiations in the face of an unprecedented popular movement since 17 October denouncing the entire ruling class, deemed corrupt and incompetent. The movement pushed prime minister Saad Hariri and his government to resign on 29 October and since then has been calling for the formation of a cabinet of technocrats and independents. Parliamentary consultations started with a meeting between Diab and the Head of Parliament, Nabih Berri, who insisted on the need to form a government representative of all parliamentary blocs and of the demonstrators. But some parties have already expressed their reluctance, even their refusal, to participate in the next cabinet.

‘Political’ government

On Saturday, the Druze leader Walid Joumblatt’s bloc announced the boycott of the consultations and announced that it would not participate in the government. For his part, Hariri has not publicly supported his successor, while the main Sunni parliamentary bloc he chairs “will not participate in the next government,” a source close to the source told AFP on Friday. The Lebanese Forces (FL), a Christian party whose ministers were the first to resign after the start of the protest movement, have repeatedly announced their refusal to join a “political” government.

On Friday, Diab, whose appointment was supported by the Shia Hezbollah movement and its allies, including the president’s party, promised to “form a government of independent technocrats,” echoing street demands. The little known academic former minister of education called on the demonstrators to “give him a chance” to form an “exceptional government” and promised to meet on Sunday “various representatives” of the protest movement. But the support given to its designation by Hezbollah and its allies has fuelled the anger of part of the street, in particular Sunnis, who see it as a marginalisation of their community in this multi-faith country. On Saturday, roads were blocked in the Akkar region and in Tripoli, in the north of the country, after a Friday that was marked by scuffles in Beirut.

Hale meets with Bassil, Geagea and Joumblatt

The Daily Star BEIRUT: U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale Saturday met with multiple political leaders in Lebanon, amid consultations to form a new government taking place in Parliament. Hale met with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, after which the latter tweeted that their meeting was “friendly and honest.” Hale next met with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea at the LF headquarters in Maarab.

The LF leader said after their meeting that Lebanon is in need of financial aid and that foreign powers will not help Lebanon if anyone from the old guard is in the new government. “The upcoming government doesn’t necessarily have to include everyone, what is important is to have independent experts” said Geagea to reporters. He also denied reports that LF was pressured by Saudi to not name Hariri as Prime Minster last week. Hale later met with caretaker Foreign Minister and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil at his residence in Bayada in Rabieh.

According to local TV channel LBC, Bassil and Hale discussed the issue of the head of Israeli-linked jail Amer al-Fakhoury, who recently entered Lebanon, in addition to many other topics. Hale arrived to Beirut Friday, and after discussing developments in Lebanon in separate meetings with Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hariri, he underlined the need for Lebanese leaders to commit to the implementation of sustained reforms in order to put Lebanon back on the security and prosperity track. He also denied media reports that his visit was designed to influence the makeup of the new government. “For far too long, too many leaders here have prioritized partisan interests or personal gain over the national interest. And today we see the effects of this pattern,” he said Firday, referring to the mass protests.

The U.S official also said American help for Lebanon to ride out the economic crisis was conditional on implementation of reforms. Hassab Diab a professor at American University of Beirut and former education minister was designated as prime minister by President Michel Aoun Wednesday, after gaining the support of a parliamentary majority. Parliamentary consultations with Diab began Saturday to discuss the form of the new government.

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