Hariri pledges to work for all as new Lebanon premier (Roundup)

Jun 27, 2009, 13:40 GMT

Beirut - Saad Hariri was designated Saturday Lebanon's new prime minister after his anti-Syrian coalition won the majority in parliament earlier this month - and immediately vowed to work for all of Lebanon.

Hariri is the son of assassinated former premier Rafik Hariri, killed in a car bomb in 2005.

'I will work for all Lebanon and for the interest of the Lebanese people,' Hariri told reporters after he was named premier at the Baabda presidential palace.

'We seek to protect the constitution and extend our hand to our partners in the nation,' he said.

Hariri stressed that his first objective is to keep 'civil strife and dangers away from Lebanon.'

And he vowed to form what he described 'a homogeneous and consensus government that is able to remain united.'

Shortly after Hariri was named premier, fireworks celebrating his appointment were heard across the capital.

Hariri, 39, then headed to his father's grave, along with former Premier Fouad Seniora, who was his father's closet ally.

The new prime minister is now scheduled to start consultations with the various parliamentary blocs to form his 30-minister cabinet.

According to sources close Hariri, the new premier proposed his ideas for the new cabinet during his meeting with Hezbollah leader Shiekh Hassan Nasrallah earlier this week.

Hariri proposed a cabinet composed of 30 ministers, whereby the parliamentary majority would have 16 ministers, 10 ministers would represent the opposition, and 4 ministers would be designated to the president.

But sources in the Hezbollah-led opposition said the opposition is still insisting on obtaining a veto power in the new cabinet.

Hariri was nominated Saturday by 86 members of the 128-strong parliament. The opposition led by Shiite militant group Hezbollah abstained in the vote, but said if Hariri was designated 'we will work with him.'

Hariri is to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, a member of Hariri's Future Current movement.

Hariri's coalition won 71 seats in this month's parliamentary election against 57 won by a coalition led by Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran.

Rafik Hariri's assassination has been widely blamed on Syria, a charge Damascus denies. A UN court in to try the suspected killers has opened in the Hague.