Lebanon gets new government

A new government led by Prime Minister Tammam Salam was formed in Lebanon Saturday after a 10-month deadlock.

According to a decree signed by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Samir Mokbel has been appointed as defence minister and vice prime minister, Gebran Bassil as minister of foreign affairs, Nouhad Machnouk as minister of interior, Ali Hassan Khalil as minister of finance, Gen. Asharaf Rifi as minister of justice and Sejaan Qazzi as minister of labour, Xinhua reported.

The announcement after a compromise was reached by the pro-Syrian March 8 camp and the opposition March 14 camp and witnessed a complete shuffle in the portfolios.

Prime Minister Salam, born in 1945, is a centrist politician whose father was a long time prime minister, and he is considered close to former prime minister Saad Hariri. (IANS)