Lebanon’s new government wins confidence vote in parliament

Lebanon's new government has won a vote of confidence in parliament. This followed a speech by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who pledged to push for economic reforms and begin negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mikati's commitments aim to stabilize the country's situation and lay the foundation for future economic development.

In the 128-seat parliament, Mikati's government secured the support of 95 members on Wednesday evening. This vote of confidence marks the new government's acquisition of legitimacy to govern and provides a guarantee for the implementation of future policies.

Lebanon's political landscape has undergone significant changes, with Hezbollah, a faction that has long dominated Lebanese politics, suffering a major blow in last year's war with Israel. Consequently, the new government's policy statement does not include the language that, in past years, was seen as giving Hezbollah a legitimate role in defending Lebanon.

Mikati stated in his address to parliament: "We want to establish a government that has the exclusive right to decide on matters of war and peace, a government that is loyal to the constitution and national agreements, ensuring that unfulfilled provisions are implemented." Hezbollah's senior member of parliament, Mohammad Raad, spoke on Tuesday, expressing Hezbollah's support for the new government.

Mikati said before the vote: "We will work to remove Lebanon from the gray list and start negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. We will put the interests of depositors first." Al Jazeera's reporter, Zeina Khodr, reported from Beirut that the new Lebanese government is composed of outsiders who presented their agenda to a parliament "still controlled by the parties accused of nearly bankrupting the country."

Khodr stated: "The situation is different now, with Hezbollah having a 14-month conflict with Israel and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria, cutting off supply lines from Iran." She added: "The new government does not grant Hezbollah the status of the only legitimate armed entity besides the army. A post-Hezbollah era is being established." In addition to security issues, the new government will also have to deal with challenges such as large-scale reconstruction and a damaged economy and financial sector.

Lebanon has been in an economic crisis since 2019, with its financial system collapsing under the weight of huge national debt, leading to a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing the savings of ordinary depositors in the banking system. On February 8, Lebanon formed a new government, following rare direct intervention by the United States in the process, a move aimed at bringing the country closer to obtaining reconstruction funds after the Israel-Hezbollah war. Beirut reached a preliminary financing agreement with the IMF in 2022, but only on the condition that the authorities fulfill their reform commitments.