Lebanon Forms a Government Posted by Moran Banai

After 18 months of political deadlock followed by more than a month of squabbling over seats, Lebanon finally has a new cabinet. The cabinet includes 16 majority coalition ministers, 3 ministers chosen by the new president, Michel Suleiman, and 11 opposition ministers - giving the Hezbollah-led opposition the veto that it has been seeking. This breakdown was agreed upon in Doha in late May, but it took the factions almost seven weeks to agree on who would get which portfolio.

The cabinet formation is good news, but as Mona Yacoubian noted last week, "an agreement on a unity government will not spell the end to Lebanon’s problems. Bitter political rivalries coupled with ongoing sectarian fighting suggest deeper discord among Lebanon’s factions that portends more violence in the coming weeks and months. ... Ultimately, Lebanon’s political leaders will need to bridge their deep differences through compromises that put the national interest ahead of confessional rivalries."

This includes strengthening national institutions like the Lebanese Armed Forces, and dismantling the factions' militias, perhaps a long-term and difficult step, but one the government ultimately needs in order to truly control the country.