BEIRUT, 18 April 2005 — Hopes rose yesterday that Lebanon’s newly named Prime Minister Najib Mikati could break six weeks of political deadlock by forming a government after he obtained support from opposition and pro-Syrian figures.
Businessman Mikati, who has close ties with Lebanon’s political powerbrokers in Damascus, has sealed the cooperation of the anti-Syrian opposition, making the holding of crucial elections on time in May a realistic possibility.
“The prime minister designate seems to be moving in the right direction and we are optimistic,” opposition MP Ghenwa Jalloul told journalists. “The opposition will continue to facilitate the task... to make holding elections possible.”
Lebanon has been without a government since former Prime Minister Omar Karami resigned at the end of February following huge protests sparked by the assassination of his predecessor Rafik Hariri in a massive Beirut bomb blast.
The opposition has accused the pro-Syrian government of seeking to stall elections for fear of a voter backlash over its alleged involvement in the Feb. 14 killing.
Mikati, a 49-year-old Sunni Muslim, said on Saturday that he would form a “restricted government that could hold elections as soon as possible” and would sack security chiefs before a UN commission arrives to probe Hariri’s murder. Mikati was chosen over Damascus protege President Emile Lahoud’s candidate, outgoing Defense Minister Abdul-Rahim Murad, amid signs of cracks among loyalists allied to Syria.
The opposition, which expects to win the elections and has warned of more mass protests if a government is not formed soon, decided to back Mikati after he pledged to meet some of their demands and despite his links to Syria. Lebanon’s opposition found a powerful new voice after Hariri’s killing and blamed the attack on the pro-Syrian regime and its political masters in Damascus and had been demanding the sacking of top security officials.
Pro-Syrian politicians have now agreed in principle to suspend the six security chiefs and the public prosecutor, blamed for perpetuating Syrian influence in its smaller neighbor, but this must first be voted by Parliament.
International pressure for elections to be held on time has increased in the last 48 hours, with the French Foreign Ministry saying holding elections would be the new government’s “first task”.
