With the votes of 90 MPs out of the 120, Mustapha Adib, a Lebanese diplomat, has now been appointed as Lebanon’s new Prime Minister after the former resigned along with the rest of the whole government a few days after the major blast in the country.
The blast resulted from an unattended and deserted tank of ammonium nitrate in Beirut. Lebanese broadcasting agencies and Reuters reported the fire to have started from welding works taking place in Warehouse no. 12.
The new PM received support from Hezbollah and the partners, the Free Patriotic Movement, and the Amal Movement. He also garnered the backing of the Future
Mr. Adib addressed the media on Monday and said, “It’s time for work to dovetail efforts and join hands, to restore hope among the Lebanese. By the grace of God Almighty, we hope we will be successful in selecting professionals with proven expertise and efficiency to implement the necessary financial and economic reforms.”
The responsibility of forming a new government lies on the shoulders of Mr. Adib now. Other than the 90 received by the newly appointed minister, 14 MPs had voted Nawaf Salam, the judge in the International Court of Justice. The rest of the MPs either dint attend the conference or voted for none of the candidates.
The 48-year-old PM is not a well-known personality much like his former position holder, Hassan Diab. Mr. Adib has worked as an ambassador for Lebanon to Germany from 2013. Along with that, for the past 20 years, he has continued to serve as an advisor for the former PM, Najib Mikati. He is known to be a close associate to some of Lebanon’s most powerful political parties.
He now has to fish the country from the economically sucked and politically drowned situation. In terms of finances, it has suffered the most in its transport, cultural, and housing sector. The country, before the blast, was already neck-deep in the corruption arena and Mr. Adib has to work up to gain international support.
According to the estimates of the World Bank, the losses due to the blast amounted to $3.2bn to $4.6bn. Additionally, $2.9bn to $3.2bn was also lost in respect to the economic yield of the country.
As part of an urgent fund required by 2020 end, the major bank termed $605m to $760m. Assistance in the form of cash, housing facilities, and businesses formed a part of this amount.
However, Rima Majed, an assistant professor of sociology at the American University of Beirut exclaimed that Mr. Adib’s appointment was to uphold and continue the ruling of the richer class.
She said, “It still remains a republic of billionaires but is now run by their men, their advisers. It’s disturbing from a class aspect because they are reproducing the system and Adib is clearly coming to preserve the interests of those billionaires, be it Hariri, Mikatior [House Speaker Nabih] Berri.”
