BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri's third government won the confidence of Parliament by an overwhelming margin late Friday evening.
MPs voted 111-6 in favor of granting the new Cabinet full authorities after three days of speeches punctuated by sharp exchanges and jokes.
With the confidence of Parliament, the new government can begin its ambitious program, which includes several measures to ameliorate the economy, right the state's fiscal ship and fix abysmal public services. Key to the plan is enacting reforms to unlock $11 billion in international aid promised at the CEDRE conference in Paris last April.