BEIRUT, 17 April 2003 — Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who resigned late Tuesday, was asked yesterday to form a new government by President Emile Lahoud. “I met with the president, who informed me of the results of the consultations he had had (with members of Parliament), and he charged me with forming a new government,” Hariri told journalists. An official source said 93 out of 128 deputies had expressed their support for a new Hariri administration.
In a statement, the president confirmed that he had asked Hariri to carry on as prime minister. Hariri, who has headed the country’s government for nine of the past 11 years, said he will begin discussions on the new government lineup today.
Lahoud began talks earlier in the day with parliamentarians after Hariri resigned Tuesday evening as head of the 30-member government formed in October 2000 and approved by Syria, the main power broker in Lebanon for more than two decades.
His resignation coincided with the end of the US-led military campaign in Iraq and a flurry of accusations leveled by the United States at Syria.
Over the past few days, Washington has increased its warnings to Damascus, calling on it not to give refuge to members of the overthrown Saddam Hussein regime fleeing across the border from Iraq and even criticizing the Syrian military presence in Lebanon as an “occupation”.
Analysts say differences between Hariri and Lahoud prompted Syria to give the green light to a more homogenous set-up in the face of the latest regional developments. The reshuffle is expected to help Damascus consolidate its influence within the Lebanese government by ensuring the placement of loyal pro-Syrian appointees in key positions. The new government line-up, however, is expected to contain a sizeable number of figures from the previous one.
Parliamentarians voted to keep Hariri as prime minister a day after he resigned to pave the way for a government shuffle amid mounting US pressure on political master Syria. “Tomorrow I will start consultations ... with deputies in Parliament,” he added. Analysts expected the reshuffle to usher in a still pro-Syrian government but with a broader popular base. This would allow Damascus to focus on tensions with Washington without having to worry about bickering in Lebanon, where it holds broad political and military sway.
“The Syrians do not want to manage problems in Lebanon when they have a problem on their eastern frontier,” said Lebanese political commentator Michael Young. “While the Syrians are watching Iraq, this is a government that is going to protect them from the back.”
The Lebanese daily An-Nahar said the government change was “born in Damascus”. Analysts said Hariri’s resignation was a technical move, likely done with Syria’s blessing, to allow him to reform the government with new ministers.
The previous Cabinet had been plagued by political bickering over key economic reforms and domestic politics, and analysts said it had outlived its usefulness, with Syria becoming tired of the spats. A government reshuffle had been widely expected, but the timing of Hariri’s resignation was sudden and came as Washington turned up the heat on Damascus.
