United States: The new Lebanese government will have to chart a new direction on reform and anti-corruption

The United States reported on Monday, after hours of the designation of a prime minister in Beirut to form a new government, the new Lebanese government will have to plan a new direction on reform and anti-corruption to leave from this current crisis.

A State Department spokesperson informed Al Arabiya English: Whatever government comes next is going to have to meet the legitimate aspirations and needs expressed by the Lebanese people by urgently implementing meaningful reforms. He also added: Only through charting a new direction dedicated to reform and anti-corruption can the next government help Lebanon exit this current crisis.

Moreover, Mustapha Adib was designated to create and direct a new cabinet in the country that commemorates its centennial this year however it’s suffering from an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. He Adib got 90 votes out of the 128-member parliament of Lebanon, while traditional political parties that protesters are demanding its resignation, accepted Diab after international pressure to designate a new premier.

Indeed, and on his second visit to Beirut, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beirut Monday. According to the reports, he used aggressive language with Lebanese heads during his last visit and appealed for a new political pact.

It should be noted that Adib was an adviser to former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and was the ambassador of Beirut to Germany since 2013.  Whereas, analysts have declared suspicion about the independence of Adib and the capacity to manage a government capable of changing or cracking down on the rampant corruption in the country.

As an answer about the appointment of Adib, the State Department official declared that any new government must demonstrate its readiness to act in the interests of the Lebanese people by fighting corruption and implementing reforms that could address the demands of the Lebanese people for economic opportunity, accountability, and transparency.

Actually, protests began last October while hundreds of thousands of protesters calling for the end of the government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Otherwise, Hezbollah and its allies then chose and designed a one-sided government as opposed to traditional Lebanese governments that were national unity governments. Hariri and the principal Sunni heads of Lebanon didn’t back Diab or his government, while Hariri and his allies were proposed the name of Adib and Hezbollah and the pro-Syrian parties in Lebanon agreed that. In the power-sharing system of Lebanon, the prime minister should be a Sunni Muslim as the president and parliament speaker should be Maronite Christian and Shia Muslim, respectively.

Currently, Adib will make consultations with different political blocs to reach an agreement on the new form of government and its form before demanding Parliament to vote of confidence.

The residents of Beirut protested against the designation of Adib, in a sign of frustration with Adib and how the same political sides selected him.

The State Department official reported: The devastating August 4 explosion has only magnified calls by the Lebanese people and international community for government reform, transparency, and economic stability that remain unmet.