Salam Cabinet: How the ministerial statement was adopted

Monday’s government session in the Baabda Presidential Palace lasted for four hours, during which the new Cabinet adopted its ministerial statement, which it hopes will secure Parliament’s confidence following debates scheduled for Feb.25 and 26.While the Cabinet was supposed to merely review the pre-drafted text prepared by the ministerial committee, the lengthy discussions made it clear that the process was anything but straightforward. The amendments to the text went far beyond mere formalities; they reflected the political confrontation between the Hezbollah and Amal duo and the rest of the government’s components.In addition to removing the term “resistance” from the statement — assigning this responsibility solely to the Lebanese state — Hezbollah’s opponents managed to introduce changes on sensitive issues for the party, including...