Report: New Cabinet to Hold First Meeting in Baabda

Lebanon’s newly formed government will hold its first meeting on Saturday at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, it will be chaired by President Michel Aoun and in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The presidential palace has concluded the arrangements for this meeting, said al-Joumhouria daily, where Aoun is scheduled to deliver a speech highlighting the pressing tasks of the new government at the economic, social, judicial sectors in addition to its mission in fighting corruption.

During the session, a committee will be appointed to draft the policy statement, which presidential sources said there is an "orientation to drafting a concise one tackling specific issues," said the daily.

Amid reports that “sharp” differences could surface over “critical” issues to be devised in the policy statement, ministerial sources told the daily, the contrary is true.

“Devising the policy statement will not take long in view of the absence of differences that call for political bickering,” the sources told the daily.

They assured that political parties are in “full agreement” over issues related to the economic situation, the adoption of austerity policy in some sectors, the issue of disappearance of Imam Moussa al-Sadr, and Lebanon’s relationship with Syria and many other.

Furthermore, the cabinet will have a commemorative official photo taken at Baabda’s doorstep.

On Thursday, Lebanese political factions agreed to form a new government, breaking a nine-month deadlock that only deepened the country' economic woes.