Lebanon government wins parliament's confidence vote despite protests
Lebanon's parliament has backed a new cabinet and the government's financial rescue plan in a vote of confidence held despite attempts by protesters to block it, according to Al Jazeera.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri congratulated the legislators who sat through a nine-hour session on Tuesday before holding a vote that saw 63 of 84 MPs present give their confidence to the new government formed last month. Twenty MPs voted against the government and one abstained.
Hezbollah and its allies - the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement - backed the government while the Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri voted no confidence along with its allies, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party.
Speaking before the vote, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said his government's priority was preserving foreign currency needed for imports and that all options for dealing with Eurobonds maturing this year were being studied.
Diab, a little-known academic and former education minister, was tasked with forming a government in December after Hariri was forced to resign.
However, for months, thousands of Lebanese had been protesting against the proposed cabinet, saying it would not be able to rescue the country's ailing economy.
On Tuesday, more than 350 people were injured in clashes around the Lebanese parliament building in the capital as protesters attempted to prevent the MPs from participating in the confidence vote.
Despite the protesters' efforts to block the vote, a quorum was achieved in the parliamentary session, which began around 11:45am (0945 GMT) on Tuesday.
Several MPs made their way to the parliament on the backs of motorcycles, allowing them to slip through protesters, while others arrived in heavily-guarded convoys.
Security forces, including the Lebanese army, riot police and SWAT teams used batons, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets to clear the roads of protesters.
The Lebanese Red Cross said it transported 45 people to hospitals and treated 328 at the scene.
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