New ministers voice commitment to help Lebanon overcome challenges
Lebanon”s newly appointed ministers expressed their eagerness over the weekend to address the different challenges facing the country. A 30-member national unity government was announced on Friday after almost five weeks of disputes over the distribution of portfolios.
The formation of the Cabinet came in line with the accord sealed in Doha on May 21 which allocated 16 Cabinet seats to the parliamentary majority, 11 to the opposition, and three to the president.
One of the main goals newly appointed Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar has set for himself is to separate to separate political issues from judicial ones.
"Separating between politics and judiciary is a vital matter; the Justice Ministry should be politics-free," Najjar said following a meeting with Premier Fouad Siniora Saturday.
"I am not a politician assigned to a run the Justice Ministry … I am here to suggest and introduce reforms," he added.
Siniora held a meeting with a group of ministers, including Najjar, Information Minister Tarek Mitri, and Finance Minister Mohammad Shatah at the Grand Serail.
On Sunday, Siniora received a series of phone calls congratulating him on the formation of the national unity Cabinet.
Among the callers were Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, Egyptian Premier Ahmad Nazif and his Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit, Arab League chief Amr Moussa and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Also revealing plans for the upcoming period, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud touched on security and electoral issues in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station Saturday.
Baroud said the government should not be lenient with attempts by any political group to undermine state security.
"It is high time we reach a stable security situation without making concessions at the expense of the right of Lebanese citizens to live in safety," he said.
Baroud stressed the need to come up with a security plan during next year”s parliamentary elections. "This is a major challenge," he added.
The minister also said that elections should be "a gate toward reform and political stability in Lebanon."
Meanwhile, newly appointed Industry Minister Ghazi Zeaiter said he hoped the national unity government could cooperate with Parliament in implementing the remaining items of the Doha Agreement, which put an end to Lebanon”s 18-month political crisis.
While the election of a president and the formation of the national unity government were fulfilled, implementing the Doha Agreement still requires the drafting of a new electoral law for the 2009 elections and the holding of national dialogue sponsored by President Michel Sleiman.
Zeaiter stressed the importance of adhering to the terms of the Doha deal, particularly with regards to the electoral law.
"This government will work to address all issues objectively," he added.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Administrative Development Ibrahim Shamseddine told the Voice of Lebanon radio station Sunday that establishing diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria does not necessarily change the nature of relations between the two states.
"Direct diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria are a must … We welcome this decision and hope it will be implemented according to international norms," Shamseddine said.
He also noted the need to discuss Hizbullah”s weapons and said the upcoming parliamentary elections must be held on time and on the basis of a clear electoral law.
"The issue of Hizbullah”s arms should be discussed during Cabinet sessions," he added.