New government for Lebanon?

Lebanon has a new government after five months of political stalemate. Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced the formation of a new cabinet Monday, giving Hezbollah and its allies a majority of seats in the new government. The new cabinet must still face a confidence vote in Parliament.

Hezbollah and its allies withdrew from the previous government of Saad Hariri in January, forcing it to collapse over demands that Lebanon denounce the international tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The Tribunal is widely expected to indict members of Hezbollah for that killing. The party later secured enough support in parliament to name Mikati as the new prime minister but forming the new cabinet came slowly with avowals by Mikati that he would not bow to pressure from any one side.

Yet it seems many in Lebanon were taken by surprise by Mikati’s announcement that a new government had been formed, including Professor Khalil Karam, Vice President of St. Joseph’s University in Beirut who spoke to Tracey McClure Tuesday. He says the new Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Rai is to be thanked in large part for helping overcome the political stalemate. Shortly after his election this Spring, the Patriarch invited Lebanon’s feuding Christian political leaders to overcome their deep political divisions for the good of the nation.
listen to the interview: