US stresses reform as Hariri named PM

Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Saad Hariri was selected by President Michel Aoun to form the country’s next government on Thursday, after 65 members of Parliament named him during binding parliamentary consultations. Hariri’s assignment led to a significant drop in the dollar’s exchange rate on the black market to 6,8006,900 Lebanese pounds.

Business as usual in Lebanon is unacceptable and any new government must be committed to — and capable of implementing — reforms that bring economic opportunity, good governance and an end to endemic corruption, US Assistant Secretary of State, David Schenker, said.

“Whatever government comes next must commit to and have the ability to implement reforms that can lead to economic opportunity, better governance and an end to endemic corruption,” he told reporters in a teleconference. Addressing the people of Lebanon from Baabda Palace, Hariri stressed that he would “form a government of nonpartisan technocrats to implement the economic, financial, and administrative reforms contained in the French initiative. The parliamentary blocs pledged to support the government in the implementation of this initiative.”

Hariri said: “I am determined to keep my promise for the people to stop the collapse that threatens our economy and rebuild what has been destroyed by the horrible Beirut port blast.” He said he would focus on forming a government quickly “because time is running out.”