Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who was toppled in a popular uprising nearly one year ago, has been tasked with forming the crisis-plagued country's next government. He faces the grueling task of forming a cabinet in a country still reeling from the aftermath of a massive explosion that ripped through the capital in August. The country is mired in a financial meltdown, political infighting and widespread anger at Beirut's ruling elite. Hariri said he would build an apolitical and technocratic government to enact wide-ranging reforms. The move puts him at loggerheads with opponents in the country's Hezbollah-backed parliamentary majority who have repeatedly rejected proposals to create a cabinet of technocrats.

Source: CNN October 22, 2020 10:39 UTC