The Hassan Diab government, formed by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, was announced on January 21, 2020. It has 20 members.
Hassan Diab was appointed following consultations with Lebanese parliamentarians on December 19, 2019. He then promised the constitution of a new small council of ministers with specialist profiles. This was without taking into account the demands of the coalition of parties that appointed him. Hezbollah, the Amal movement or the Courant Patriotiques Libre (CPL) were then in favor of a techno-political cabinet and the last-minute obstacles posed by the demands of the Marada movement which would have obtained 2 ministries or of the Syrian National Social Party (PSNS). ) absent from the cabinet.
Since the night of October 17-18, major protests have erupted over a proposed WhatsApp-type telecommunications tax. These demonstrations grew following an altercation that evening between bodyguards of Minister of Education Akhram Chéhayeb and protesters in downtown Beirut. They then affected the whole country, with the symbol of blocking roads with inflamed tires.
Another symbol is the economic crisis which could cause more than 50% of the population to live below the poverty line in 2020, according to a study by the World Bank. With the economic crisis, came a shortage of foreign currencies necessary for the purchase of basic goods. From the summer, many sectors of activity including gas stations complained about the refusal of their banking establishments to sell them dollars at the level of the official parity. Indeed, since then, while the parity rate between the Lebanese pound and the dollar is still at 1,507.5 LL / USD, the unofficial rate has even reached 2,500 LL / USD at the beginning of the week.
This new government should propose a reform plan for the Lebanese economy as soon as possible, say many international institutions which also denounce the delays taken by the local authorities.
Were appointed:
Hassan Diab, Prime Minister
Vice-President of the Council and Minister of Defense: Zeina Akar
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Nassif Hitti
Minister of the Interior: Mohammad Fahmy
Minister of Telecommunications: Talal Hawat
Minister of Education: Tarek Majzoub
Minister of the Environment and Administrative Reform: Demianos Kattar
Minister of Energy and Water Resources: Raymond Ghajar
Minister of Justice: Mary-Claude Najem
Minister of the Economy: Raoul Nehmé
Minister of Displaced Persons: Ghada Shreim Minister of Labor: Lamia Yammine Doueihy
Minister of Public Works: Michel Najjar
Minister of Youth and Sports: Varti Ohanian
Minister of Social Affairs and Tourism: Ramzi Msharrafieh
Minister of Information: Manal Abdel Samad
Minister of Finance: Ghazi Wazni
Minister of Agriculture and Culture: Abbas Mortada
Minister of Health: Hamad Hasan
Minister of Industry: Imad Hoballah
