The formation of a new government led by Najib Mikati follows five months of negotiations after the fall of the Saad Hariri government. Mikati formed a controversial 30-minister cabinet. Following ruptures and tensions and two previous threats to resign, Mikati finally resigned on 23 March 2013. Tammam Salam was tasked to form a new government on 6 April 2013.
Background
The Hariri government fell after the withdrawal on March 8 of members from his cabinet following refusals to end cooperation with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. President Michel Suleiman then tasked Mikati to form a new government amid concerns of instability.
Mikati was nominated for office by Hezbollah, Michel Aoun and Walid Jumblatt in January 2011. The cabinet formation process took nearly five months.
Method
Eleven ministers were selected by Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc, giving him alone veto power, along with one merge minister backed by both Aoun's political party and Michel Suleiman's presidential power. This current lineup brings Aoun back to government leadership for the first time since 1990. Six ministers are from Najib Mikati's prime ministerial team. Six ministers come from the other parties in the March 8 Alliance, which include only two ministers each from Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, whose leader, Nabih Berri, sacrificed a Shiite allocation in order to give a portfolio for Faisal Karami, Omar Karami's son. This resulted in a 7/6/5 inequality between the Sunni, Maronite, and Shiite shares in the Government for the first time since the Taif Agreement. Some believe that this inequality favoring the Sunnis showed no intention from Hezbollah and their allies to rule the government. Finally, Walid Jumblatt's share consisted of three ministers, which is no different from the former government. Regarding the allocation of seats according to leaders' preferences, only Aoun and Mikati benefited from the formation of the new government, due to the increase in slots that they were given.
Composition
Prince Talal Arslan said he would resign after not being appointed the Defense Ministry portfolio. He said that "I cannot participate in a Cabinet in which [Mikati] says that the Druze do not have a right to be assigned a key ministerial portfolio...[Mikati] is conspiring against coexistence in the country." He further accused Mikati of trying to ignite a conflict within March 8 by lying to the public and attempting to embarrass Hezbollah by stalling the formation of a new government. Security officials said that his supporters in his stronghold of Khalde blocked the highway leading to the village and fired gunshot rounds in the air to protest Mikati cabinet.
However, the appointment of Faisal Karami was greeted with celebratory gunfire in his hometown of Tripoli.
Mikati's government won a parliamentary vote of confidence on 7 July. The government secured the vote of confidence with 68 out of a 128 votes, after the March 14 alliance members walked out. Mikati then said that "The government confirms it will continue the path of the tribunal...and continue to cooperate in this regard as per the UN Security Council Resolution which set up the tribunal to see justice served."
On 24 February 2012, labor minister Charbel Nahas was succeeded by Salim Jreissati as nominated by Michel Aoun.
Reactions
Domestic
Amid criticism Mikati said "I will not surrender to the logic of victor and vanquished." He also said "the motto of this government is 'all for the country, all for work.'" He further thanked Nabih Berri after the latter had been summoned by Suleiman and Mikati to discuss the conclusion of the cabinet after Berri expressed reservations about such appointments as the sixth Sunni seat, the third Druze seat and the sixth Maronite seat.: "...because if it weren't for his national sacrifices, the government would not have seen the light [of day]."