After a month of negotiations with PM candidate Diab, President Michel Aoun announces the formation of a new cabinet with 20 minister, whom he describes as “technocrats” without any affiliations or loyalties to ruling parties. The government would therefore meet the protester's demands for political change. While Hassan Diab's new government is backed by the biggest Shia Muslim factions, Hezbollah and Amal, and President Aoun's Christian Free Patriotic Movement. Former PM's Sunni Future Movement, the Christian Lebanese Forces party as well as the Progressive Socialist Party of Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt refuse to participate in the new government. The cabinet includes e.g. economist and Finance Minister Ghazy Wasni, as well as former ambassador to the Arab League turned Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti, it also counts six women – among them Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zeina Akar and Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm – but overall, the line-up of Ministers shows a trend in representation of the “main political oligarchs and parties with Hezbollah,” President of the Middle East Institute Paul Salem says, predicting a mere shadow-government run by the handful of men “clinging to their power.” Hours after the announcement, thousands take to the street in protest of the new government, sparking more violent clashes.