** See below for continuing updates **
At approximately 8PM Beirut time, President Michel Suleiman signed the following decrees, dissolving the current cabinet and appointing the new one.
Decree #2837: The cabinet led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is now resigned.
Decree #2838: Saad al-Hariri is hereby appointed Prime Minister.
Decree #2839: Pursuant to the previous decree, the following are the ministers in the new Lebanese cabinet:
Saad al-Hariri (M14, Future Movement): Prime Minister
Rayya al-Haffar (M14, Future Movement): Minister of Finance
Hassan Mneimneh (M14, Future Movement): Minister of Education
Mohammed Rahhal (M14, Future Movement): Minister of Environment
Michel Pharaon (M14, Future Movement): Minister of State
Tarek Mitri (M14, Future Movement): Minister of Information
Mohammed Safadi (M14, Independent): Minister of Economy
Jean Ogassapian (M14, Future Movement): Minister of State
Akram Chouhayib (PSP): Minister of the Displaced
Ghazi al-Aridi (PSP): Minister of Public Works
Wael Abou Faour (PSP): Minister of State
Ibrahim al-Najjar (M14, Lebanese Forces): Minister of Justice
Salim Wardeh (M14, Lebanese Forces): Minister of Culture
Boutros Harb (M14, Independent): Minister of Labor
Salim al-Sayegh (M14, Kata’eb): Minister of Social Affairs
*
Ziad Baroud (President’s share): Minister of Interior
Elias al-Murr (President’s share): Minister of Defense (and vice-PM)
Mona Afeish (President’s share): Minister of State
Adnan al-Sayyed Hussein (President’s share [and Hezbollah's presumable swing vote]): Minister of State
Adnan al-Qassar (President’s share): Minister of State
*
Charbel Nahhas (Opposition, C&R): Minister of Telecommunications
Fadi Abboud (Opposition, C&R): Minister of Tourism
Ibrahim Dadayan (Opposition, C&R): Minister of Industry
Gebran Bassil (Opposition, C&R): Minister of Energy
Youssef Saade (Opposition, C&R): Minister of State
Ali al-Shami (Opposition, AMAL): Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mohammed Khalifeh (Opposition, AMAL): Minister of Health
Ali Hussein Abdallah (Opposition, AMAL): Minister of Youth & Sports
Hussein al-Haj Hassan (Opposition, Hezbollah): Minister of Agriculture
Mohammed Fneish (Opposition, Hezbollah): Minister of State for Administrative Development
**
In yet another twist to the five month-old cabinet saga, the Kata’eb Party — a key Christian ally in the March 14 alliance — has threatened to drop out of the coalition and resign from the cabinet, expressing displeasure at the ministry that it was dealt (Social Affairs). PM Saad al-Hariri has not yet issued a statement about this development, and it is unclear as to how it will impact the stability of the new government. Stay tuned…

The cabinet formation process seems to be chugging along (fingers crossed), and the expectation is that the executive branch will finally get down to business later this week. It’s the end of an era, and some readers believe that this means that I should engage in a dab of ponderous reflection. Who am I to disappoint them?
Well, it took five months (almost to the day) but Lebanon seems to have finally turned the page on the historic parliamentary elections held on June 7, 2009.
Here are the results of the
In a sudden cloud burst of optimism, the Cabinet Alert Level was raised to orange Monday evening, only to come crashing down on the rocks of further demands by Michel Aoun on Tuesday morning. Signals now are about as mixed as the preceding metaphor but the question remains – after four months, what has finally happened to kick things into motion?
Various pro-March 14 outlets are reporting that Michel Aoun is again derailing efforts to form a cabinet by changing his demands. Some are even suggesting that 



