Lahoud assigned Omar Karami to form a new Lebanese government
Lebanon, Politics, 10/22/2004

The Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has assigned parliamentarian Omar Karami to form the new government after the resignation of the prime minister Rafic Hariri.

The assistant for the Lebanese president Rafic Shalala said that Lahoud summoned Karami and asked him to form a new government. It is, however, expected that Karami will start his parliamentary consultations before he will announce his new government.

Observers consider that appointing Karami might enhance Syria's role in Lebanon despite the international pressures in Damascus to withdraw its forces from there.

The new Lebanese government is facing difficult diplomatic and economic mission after the resignation of Hariri on Thursday from his post under the pressure of big political differences with Lahoud who is described as an alley to Damascus.

This change in government also comes after pressures by the US and the UN were increased on the Syrian government to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. Forces it had sent there following the end of the civil war in Lebanon which lasted 15 years until 1990.

Observers expect that choosing Karami as a prime minister will constitute a solid front with President Lahoud after years of differences in the relations between Lahoud and Hariri and resulted in freezing his government for several years.

The Lebanese parliament had extended the term of office for Lahoud in September and this provoked the UN Security Council to issue a decision asking for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon.

It is, however, expected that the government of the Lebanese parliamentarian Karami will continue until the parliamentary elections in may, 2005.

Karami ( 70 year old) is from Tripoli. He headed the Lebanese cabinet in the period between December 1990 and may 1992 and resigned from his post after demonstrations followed a drastic recession in the price of the Lebanese pound.

Karami said Thursday that his government will be for all Lebanese people.

"I will do my best to let all Lebanese sides share in the new government, there are no complications in that," Karami said in a press conference following a meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

He added "we will face matters with an open heart, and our permanent purpose is the sovereignty and freedom of Lebanon.. and to implement al-Taif Accord." Karami called on all Lebanese people to exert more efforts and cooperate as one team.

Previous Stories:
  UNSC Statement and speaker of the Lebanese parliament   (10/21/2004)
  Rafic Hariri quits, not to form a new government   (10/21/2004)
  Lebanon, Syria reject UN security council demands to Damascus   (10/20/2004)

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