Lebanon picked Mustapha Adib, the country's envoy to Germany, as the new Prime Minister, following the resignation of his predecessor Hassan Diab and his cabinet amid increasing pressure over the explosions at the port of Beirut on August 4.
After his meeting with President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace, Adib said, "Lebanese people are worried about the present and the future. We will hopefully be able to form a government with professional people to implement fast reforms to put the country on the right track for restoring prosperity."
Taking Over from Diab
Adib succeeded in securing 90 out of 128 Parliamentary votes, which will allow him to form a government, reports Xinhua news agency. He said that this was the time for work and for all parties to cooperate for the country to heal and restore hope in Lebanon.
On August 11, Diab, who was appointed Prime Minister in January after months of deadlock, announced his cabinet's resignation after many people accused the country's leaders of culpability through their alleged negligence and corruption.
Beirut Explosion and its Devastation
President Michel Aoun had asked Diab's government to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed. The death toll from the massive blasts which were caused by the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port for years, stood at 190.
The number of injured people were over 6,500 and three persons still unaccounted for. The huge blast damaged buildings in a radius of several kilometers in Beirut, leaving more than 200,000 homeless or living in homes with no windows or doors.
(With inputs from agency)
