Convening new parliament, Lebanese PM says Hezbollah allowed to keep weapons

Members of Lebanon’s Parliament have begun discussing the new government’s policy statement, which focuses on improving the country’s economic conditions.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri begins the meeting by reading the statement, which calls for reforms in state finances, the economy and the crumbling electricity sector, which costs state coffers about $2 billion a year.

The statement also says that Lebanese citizens have the right to “resist Israeli occupation and repel its aggression.” This is in reference to the right of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah to keep its weapons.

The new cabinet was announced late last month, breaking a nine-month deadlock that had deepened Lebanon’s economic woes. Hezbollah, along with allied parties, holds a majority in the parliament.

— Agencies