Hezbollah-led opposition refrains from renaming Hariri as premier

Sep 15, 2009, 15:50 GMT

Beirut - Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition Tuesday refrained from renaming the head of the ruling majority Saad Hariri as prime Minister on the first day of parliamentary consultations.

The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Christian leader Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and also Hezbollah all said they had 'reservations on renaming Hariri to become prime minister.'

While Berri made no individual statement, Aoun said that differences with Hariri were 'enormous.'

'We did not name anyone to form the government,' Aoun said after consultations with President Michel Suleiman.

Aoun complained that the political 'tone is still escalatory,' and urged the various political leaders to commit to dialogue 'because it is the only way to salvation.'

MP Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, told reporters the bloc did not name anyone as premier either, but he offered cooperation to form a national unity government.

Hariri was expected to be nominated by members of his parliamentary majority coalition, which defeated the Syrian-Iranian backed Hezbollah-led opposition in the June parliamentary election.

Hariri was appointed after the elections as premier, but he stepped down last week after failing to reach an agreement with the opposition to form a national unity government.

Political observers blamed the failure to form a national unity government on regional issues and the souring of ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Saudi Arabia is a main supporter of the Western-backed majority, while Syria and Iran strongly support the Hezbollah led-opposition.

Under the Lebanese constitution, the prime minister should be a Sunni Muslim, the House Speaker a Shiite Muslim, and the president a Maronite Christian.