President Aoun pledges cabinet of technocrats in new government

President Michel Aoun pledged on Thursday to form a new government in which ministers would be chosen by expertise rather than political affiliation, after the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri following weeks of nationwide protests.
 
In a televised address on the occasion of completing the third year of his presidency, Aoun pledged to move the state away from its sectarian-based political system to a civil state calling sectarianism a "destructive disease".

 

“Lebanon stands at a dangerous crossroad, especially economically, and is in dire need of a harmonious government that is capable of production,” Aoun added.

Protesters have called for a technocratic government and the end of a sectarian system where posts are allocated according to religious sects.