"As soon as the names of Lebanon's new government were announced, a (hostile) campaign was launched against it domestically and externally. I hope the campaign is not synchronized." This is what Lebanon's new Information Minister Elie Frezli said at a news conference after the government's first meeting Wednesday. He was referring to the various criticisms and attacks made against the government locally (see below) and externally, especially by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who commented the new Lebanese government was "made in Syria" and, therefore, it did not conform with the requirements of U.N. Security Council resolution 1559. The resolution calls on Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and stop meddling in Lebanon's internal affairs.

"I've described the present government and prime minister of Lebanon as 'made in Damascus'," Armitage said in an interview with the international Arabic daily Al-Hayat newspaper. "Now, that doesn't seem in keeping with the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559... It's about time that the future of Lebanon was decided by Lebanese." Ferzli referred Armitage to the history of some families (the Solhs, Arslan, Franjieh and others) whose descendents have become ministers in the new cabinet, saying these families "are credited for Lebanon's sovereignty and independence" and, therefore, will not do away with it."

The government change came as Washington and the United Nations stepped up pressure on Syria over its grip on Lebanon, which last month extended the term of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud under what some lawmakers said was Syrian pressure. The United States and France drafted Security Council Resolution 1559 condemning foreign interference in Lebanon and calling for foreign forces to withdraw, a call the council repeated this month. Lebanon and Syria dismiss that demand as foreign interference.

"I think that until Syria makes up her mind to let Lebanon be Lebanon, then the international community will continue to focus on it," Armitage said. Lebanon's new government met for the first time on Wednesday and immediately dismissed its domestic and foreign critics. The cabinet including two women -- the first in any Lebanese government -- now faces a confidence vote in parliament. A special committee was set up Wednesday to draft the government's policy statement to be presented to the unicameral house where the government is expected to win confidence by around 70 votes.

Prime Minister Karami told the daily As Safir Thursday that he undertakes to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity and reduce the price of fuel to the Lebanese consumers. Frequent blackouts and power cuts have been the main cause of complaint of the Lebanese people ever since the civil war ended some 14 years ago. People often ask where has the billions of dollars gone which were supposed to improve the electricity supply. Karami also said his government will review the budget bill prepared by the previous government and take from it what suits the country. He said he is in favor of eliminating certain national councils (like the council for the south, the refugees fund and the Council for Development and Reconstruction) but this will not happen by pressing a button.

Finally, Karami said his government will seek to reactivate the state audit and monitoring agencies such as the central inspection department and the state audit department. He said the pressure on the Lebanese lira in recent days "has now subsided considerably." The pressure started with the government crisis but remained acceptable as the Central Bank intervened to keep dollar rate within limits.

Hizbullah Dissatisfied

Reactions continued Wednesday on the new 30-member government of Prime Minister Omar Karami, varying from expressing reservations to making accusations. Hizbullah expressed dissatisfaction with the way the ministerial posts were distributed and divided among the top officials. Nevertheless, it expressed readiness to cooperate with the new government, An Nahar reported Thursday. A Hizbullah statement said, "Lebanon is passing through a very sensitive internal and external phase which necessitates mobilizing and unifying energies and efforts to confront the looming challenges." It said the Lebanese people were hoping that the government would be structured and appointed on other bases than distributing shares especially in view of the importance of the phase through which the country is passing.

"Although the government will be short-lived and won't last more than seven months, it has very important missions to carry out, notably drafting a new elections law, approving the budget and curbing rampant corruption, in addition to confronting developments related to U.N. Security Council resolution 1559," the statement said. "In view of all these pending issues, the government was supposed to be formed in a different way taking into consideration internal facts and forces... Definitely a better job could have been done and a better formula could have been adopted," it added.

The statement went on: "We have not hidden our dissatisfaction with the way the government was born and with the political bickering that delayed its formation... Despite all that, Hizbullah is stretching out a hand of cooperation to the government especially over subjects aimed at achieving public and general interest. Hizbullah also hopes the new government will be able to overcome the internal problems and to deal properly with external issues it is bound to face," the statement added.

MP Sami Khatib said the government failed to meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people despite the introduction of new blood and good figures led by Prime Minister Omar Karami. "We had hoped that Premier Karami would not deviate from the principle of appointing the right person in the proper position because we know that he believes in that principle and has often defended it," Khatib said. "We welcome the participation of women in assuming national responsibilities and hope that this step would give the rule a new boost," he added.

Govt. of Informers and Losers

MP Antoine Andraos blasted the new government for including politicians who had failed in the general elections and as such did not represent the Lebanese people. "That contradicts the mere principles of democracy and is considered as a defiance to the sentiments of the public who spoke at the general elections... For all those reasons, we say this government is that of the losers in the general elections by excellence," Andraos said. He said, "We were not surprised by this government of informers and losers because the present cabinet is the product of the extension of the presidential mandate and is part of its negative and adverse consequences on the political and economic levels."

MP Bassem Yamout, a member of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's Future bloc in Parliament, argued that the new government has negative as well as positive aspects. "A positive thing is that Premier Karami was able to form a government with which he can be in harmony with to a large extent as stipulated in the Taif Accord," Yamout said. "Also," he added, "Premier Karami was able to distance the ministers who were suspected of corruption and graft and bring in new figures who are known to have clean hands and to be honest."

But on the negative side, Yamout said, "The government does not represent many political forces on the ground due to the boycott of the opposition, besides the disputes and bickering that occurred within the same camp of those loyal to the regime due to the distribution of portfolios." Yamout is the first pro-Hariri politician to make any comment on the new government. The former prime minister who resigned last week in obvious protest against the extension of President Emile Lahoud's mandate by another three years, has so far refrained from making any comment.

Amal Failure

In a related development, Amal Correctional Movement, a breakaway faction of Speaker Nabih Berri's Shiite Amal group, deplored the lack of representation of the movement in the new government. It said in a statement that the leadership of Amal under Berri "failed in the political test," AN NAHAR reported Thursday. "First, we need to stress that that the new government should be given a chance to prove itself and to show that it can move the country from a phase of political tension and bickering to a new phase of unity and harmony on the basis of national principles, notably protecting the resistance movement, building a just and competent state that will be capable of boosting relations with sisterly Syria," the statement said.

"With regard to the (Amal) movement, we feel bitterness over the deterioration inside the group and the fact that the suspicions surrounding certain leaders of Amal have reflected on the whole movement making it a target for public criticism," the statement said. "What is most bitter is the fact that instead of appointing ministers that represent the movement in the new cabinet, people were chosen from among the close circle of the leader of the movement in contradiction with the group's principles that stipulate combating feudalism," it added in a blunt allusion to Berri.

The new Amal-Correctional Movement was launched recently by former members of the mainstream Amal movement led by Berri. It includes MP's Mohammed Abdel Hamid Baydoun, Mahmoud Abu Hamdan and the former director of the information ministry Mohammed Obeid in addition to tens of former Amal members who resigned or were expelled for different reasons.

Also with regard to the new government, Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh said Druze overlord Walid Jumblat's boycott did not necessarily mean that no government could see the light, As Safir reported. Franjieh made the comment as he was handed the interior ministry portfolio from former minister Elias Murr on Wednesday. He said the new government included national figures and symbols such as Karami, the son of national and independence activist Abdel Hamid Karami, and Leila Solh, the daughter of Lebanon's first post-independence prime minister Riad Solh. "Does it mean that if Walid Jumblat is not in the government there will be no government?" Franjieh asked. "If Jumblat does not want to participate in the cabinet, do we stay without a government...? On the Druze level Emir Talal Arslan has a great popular base as well as Jumblat," he said.