Diab was appointed with the support of Hezbollah, its allies, and the Free Patriotic Movement led by Gebran Bassil.

"I have been appointed in the face of many accusations. I wanted to work, not to argue. I have abided by the law informing me to form a government. I followed the rules and regulations to form a new team of ministers. This is a government that represents the aspirations of the demonstrators who have been mobilised nationwide for more than three months," said Diab, following the lineup was announced at the presidential palace in the capital, Beirut, on Tuesday.

Diab added that new government represents the aspirations of the demonstrators who have been mobilized nationwide for more than three months.

The new government is composed of 19 members, in addition to the premier, mostly specialists backed by political parties.

Protests has rocked Lebanon since October in 2019. They were initially triggered by planned taxes on gasoline, tobacco and online phone calls such as through WhasApp but quickly expanding into a country-wide condemnation of sectarian rule, stagnant economy, unemployment, endemic corruption in the public sector, legislation that is perceived to shield the ruling class from accountability and failures from the government to provide basic services such as electricity, water and sanitation.

 As a result of the protests, Lebanon entered a political crisis, with Prime Minister Saad Hariri tendering his resignation and echoing protestors' demands for a government of independent specialists. Other politicians targeted by the protests have remained in power.

On 19 December 2019, former Minister of Education Hasan Diab was designated the next prime minister and tasked with forming a new cabinet. (ILKHA)