Saad Hariri named to form new government in Lebanon

Aoun invited the former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, to form a new government after he obtained the votes of 64 members of the Lebanese Parliament.

“I will form a government of non-party specialists and I will proceed to form the government quickly because time is running out and this is the last opportunity,” Hariri said.

The Development and Liberation bloc, Social Nationalism, the National Bloc, the Future Movement, the Independent Center Bloc and the Democratic Meeting bloc have named Hariri to form the new government.

Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri served as Prime Minister of Lebanon from 9 November 2009 to 13 June 2011. After three years living overseas, he returned to Lebanon on 8 August 2014 and served a second term as Prime Minister from 18 December 2016 to 21 January 2020.

Hariri's surprise announcement of an intent to resign, broadcast on 4 November 2017 on Saudi state TV, has widely been seen as part of the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict in Lebanon, and triggered a dispute between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

 The resignation was later suspended, following President Michel Aoun's request to "put it on hold ahead of further consultations".

On October 29, 2019, amid the 2019–20 Lebanese protests, Hariri announced his resignation, and that of his cabinet. (ILKHA)