国际英语新闻:Lebanon forms new cabinet, PM vows to exert efforts to save country

BEIRUT, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Tuesday the formation of a new cabinet of 20 ministers around one month following his appointment, local TV channel LBCI reported.

"The new cabinet will exert all its efforts to save Lebanon. We ask the Lebanese expatriates and all citizens to contribute in saving the country and restoring its prosperity," Diab said during a speech from Baabda Palace.

Diab vowed to work on meeting the demands of protesters who have been in the streets since Oct. 2019, asking for independent and credible judicial bodies, recuperating stolen public funds, protecting the most vulnerable people from being subject to new taxes, creating more job opportunities in addition to adopting a new electoral law.

Diab said that the newly appointed ministers are professional and experienced and they will work in the interest of the country.

"The new ministers are not members of any political parties and they want to work on protecting the dignity of the Lebanese," he said.

He said that ministers will meet right away to take quick measures to solve the financial and economic crises in the country.

The cabinet is expected to appoint soon a committee tasked with drafting a ministerial statement to be followed by the voting of the parliament who will give a vote of confidence to the new cabinet.

Protesters all over the country took to the streets again ahead of the announcement of the new cabinet while criticizing Diab for appointing ministers who are not totally independent, but they are supported by political parties even if they do not actually belong to these parties.

A list of the new ministers circulated all over TV channels prior to the announcement of the new cabinet which prompted protesters to prepare for new protests.

The new cabinet is considered to be supported by the two Shiite political parties, Hezbollah and Amal Movement, in addition to the Free Patriotic Movement and Marada Movement while it failed to gain the support of Future Movement, Progressive Socialist Party, Lebanese Forces and Kataeb Party.

Lebanon has been in a governmental vacuum since Oct. 29, 2019 following the resignation of the government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri amid nationwide protests against the current ruling class.