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Resignation clouds Lebanese poll

Lebanese children in military uniform light candles at the grave of slain former prime minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut on Wednesday. PHOTO: AP

Pro-Syrian Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami stepped down on Wednesday, raising doubts that parliamentary elections will be held before the end of next month, when the current legislature's term ends.

Karami said he had not been able to form a government that could call an election and supervise the polls. There were reports of a deadlock between the pro-Syrian leadership and the opposition, and later divisions within the pro-Syrian camp itself over Cabinet seats.

The process of calling elections and putting in place a new election law would take at least several weeks. The Lebanese Constitution says elections must be announced a month in advance. Unless a new government is appointed in the next few days, the earliest date for a vote would fall after May 31, when the parliament's term ends. The parliament, dominated by pro-Syrian members, could vote to extend its term.

Karami announced his resignation on Wednesday evening at his Beirut home, saying he had failed to persuade both pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian members to cooperate.

"We have once again reached a dead end," he said.

But leaders of Lebanon's opposition movement say that his resignation was a delaying tactic, meant to keep power in pro-Syrian hands.

"The fact that we don't have a government and that the law is in the parliament awaiting a government says lots," said Jibran Tuweini, an opposition leader and the editor of the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar.

The resignation deepens a crisis set off by the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14, for which many Lebanese blame Syria.

Anti-Syrian sentiment grew rapidly in the weeks afterward, forcing Syria to promise to finally end the military occupation of Lebanon that began 29 years ago, in the midst of its civil war. Damascus has said it will withdraw its remaining troops and intelligence operatives by the end of this month.

Some said that the political stalemate was particularly dangerous at this time of foment.

"In the past, this sort of thing was par for the course in Lebanon's politics, but now there's a real sense of urgency," said Rami Khouri, an editor at the Daily Star.
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