Lebanon’s president, emboldened by a massive pro-Syria demonstration, reinstated Omar Karami as prime minister on Thursday, 10 days after the Damascus-backed leader stepped down under popular and international pressure.Karami, who had continued to lead a caretaker government, immediately invited the opposition to join him in a national unity government. He said he will begin consultations early next week with lawmakers to form a Cabinet.
“The difficulties we all know cannot be confronted without a government of national unity and salvation,” he said. “We will extend our hand and wait for the other side.”
But the opposition, who orchestrated the protests that led to Karami’s Feb. 28 resignation, rejected the reappointment even before it became official.
They have complained that the national unity proposal was a trap to bring opposition members into the Cabinet without giving them a say in policymaking.
Karami suggested he might not proceed if he fails in bringing to bring all factions together.
At this hour, all cable television news outlets are reporting that Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami is announcing the resignation of his entire government.
(AP)
Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami announced the resignation of his pro-Syrian government Monday, two weeks after the assassination of his predecessor, Rafik Hariri, triggered protests in the streets and calls for Syria to withdraw its thousands of troops.“I am keen that the government will not be a hurdle in front of those who want the good for this country. I declare the resignation of the government that I had the honor to head. May God preserve Lebanon,” Karami said.
Syria has indicated it will start withdrawing some of its troops from Lebanon soon, but U.S. President George W. Bush insists it should “end its occupation” of its neighbour.International and Lebanese pressure have mounted on Syria since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut a week ago, blamed by Lebanon’s opposition on Syria.
Arab League chief Amr Moussa said President Bashar al-Assad had told him Syria would soon take steps towards withdrawing its forces in line with the Taif agreement, which ended Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war.
“President Bashar al-Assad stressed more than once in (our) talks his firm intention to press ahead with the implementation of the Taif agreement and to plan a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in line with this agreement,” he told reporters on Monday after meeting Assad in
Damascus.“The issue of Taif and the withdrawal is … part of Syrian policy. There will be talk and steps that we will see soon,” Moussa said.
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Thousands in Lebanon Protest Government
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters shouted insults at Syria and demanded the resignation of their pro-Syrian government in a Beirut demonstration Monday, marking a week since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.Beating drums and waving Lebanese flags, those of their own parties and portraits of past leaders killed during the 1975-90 civil war, the protesters gathered at the site where Hariri was killed Feb. 14 in a bombing that the opposition blames on Damascus.
Some in the crowd yelled “Syria out!” and “We don’t want a parliament that acts as a doorkeeper for the Syrians,” competing with loud insults shouted against Syrian President Bashar Assad.