Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Fouad Seniora announced the formation of a new cabinet as Hezbollah won a ministerial post for the first time.

President Emile Lahoud approved the cabinet after three weeks of bickering over key posts.

The new cabinet includes 15 ministers loyal to Saad al-Hariri, the parliament's majority coalition leader, five loyal to a pro-Syria Shiite Muslim coalition that includes Hezbollah, three members loyal to Lahoud and one independent.

But associates of former army commander Michel Aoun were not included because Aoun had refused to join the government after his demand was rejected.

Mohammed Fneish, a member of Hezbollah, was named power and hydraulic resources minister while the key Foreign Ministry went to Shiite Fawzi Salloukh.

Seniora, 62, was a close ally of Hariri's father Rafik Hariri, a former prime minister whose assassination in February sparked massive protest that forced Syrian troop's withdrawal from Lebanon in April.

In the meantime, Seniora also vowed to do everything to improve relations with Syria which has suffered since the April withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Siniora's cabinet will also face the task of controlling public debt and improving the country's internal security.

Hezbollah, a Shiite militia supported by Iran and Syria, emerged after the Israeli invasion in 1982. It formed a spearhead in the fight against Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

(CRI.com July 20, 2005)