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Lebanese MPs want Siniora for PM Siniora reappointed as Lebanon PM
(1 day later)
Lebanon's parliamentary majority coalition has agreed to nominate incumbent Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to lead the country's new government. Lebanon's president has appointed the pro-Western incumbent Fouad Siniora to lead a new unity government.
Newly-elected President Michel Suleiman has to appoint the prime minister nominated by a majority of his MPs. The appointment follows a deal signed in Qatar last week to end 18 months of tension and occasional clashes between government and opposition supporters.
The group will brief Mr Suleiman on their choice in parliament later. Mr Siniora will head a cabinet in which the Hezbollah-led opposition is guaranteed an effective veto power.
The late-night agreement means Mr Siniora will head a cabinet in which Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition is guaranteed effective veto power. Leading pro-government figure Saad Hariri said he hoped the opposition would accept the reappointment.
"March 14 leaders agreed unanimously to nominate his Excellency Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to form the new government in line with the Doha agreement," the coalition said in a statement. "We did not nominate Prime Minister Siniora as a challenge, but for reconciliation and to turn the page," Mr Hariri told journalists.
It was referring to an Arab-brokered deal signed in the Qatari capital on Sunday which paved the way for the appointment of a president to end 18 months of political deadlock. The nomination was backed by 68 of the 127 members of parliament.
Former army chief Michel Suleiman took up residence in Beirut's presidential palace on Monday. The opposition, however, made its dissatisfaction clear, saying it was against the spirit of the Doha accord.
He will begin consultations with political blocs later on Wednesday to form a new 30-member cabinet. "His nomination is a recipe for conflict rather than reconciliation," warned Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun.
Contentious decision Mr Aoun said the opposition would not stand in the way of forming a new government, but would not offer backing to the prime minister.
Mr Siniora's nomination comes after a week of violence in which 81 people died as Hezbollah fighters seized control of sections of the capital Beirut. Seized control
DOHA AGREEMENT Western-backed ruling majority to get 16 cabinet seats and choose prime ministerSyrian-backed opposition to get 11 cabinet seats and veto powerThree cabinet seats to be nominated by presidentThe use of weapons in internal conflicts is to be bannedOpposition protest camps in central Beirut are to be removed New law to divide country into smaller electoral districts class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7419718.stm">High hopes for Lebanese president class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7412543.stm">Q&A: Lebanon deal class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4823&edition=1">Send your comments Newly installed President Michel Suleiman took up residence in south Beirut's Baabda palace on Monday after his election by parliament on Sunday.
The Iranian-backed Shia militia was responding to government attempts to outlaw the group's private telephone network and reassign Beirut airport's security chief, who is close to the opposition. DOHA AGREEMENT Western-backed ruling majority to get 16 cabinet seats and choose prime ministerSyrian-backed opposition to get 11 cabinet seats and veto powerThree cabinet seats to be nominated by presidentThe use of weapons in internal conflicts is to be bannedOpposition protest camps in central Beirut are to be removed New law to divide country into smaller electoral districts class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7419718.stm">High hopes for Lebanese president class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7412543.stm">Q&A: Lebanon deal class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4823&edition=1">Send your comments Mr Siniora will hold consultations with political blocs later to form a new 30-member cabinet.
Many opposition deputies are expected to oppose the 65-year-old Mr Siniora's nomination. Developments come after a week of violence earlier this month in which 81 people died as Hezbollah fighters seized control of sections of the capital, Beirut.
The US-backed Mr Siniora has been prime minister since July 2005, but for the past 18 months has been the target of a Hezbollah-led campaign to force him to resign. The Shia militia backed by Syria and Iran was responding to Mr Siniora's government's attempts to outlaw its private telephone network and reassign the Beirut airport security chief, who is close to the opposition.
The opposition has been demanding Mr Siniora's resignation since its ministers resigned in 2006 after disagreements over the international tribunal on the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri.
Under the country's sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Christian and the speaker of the house a Shia.Under the country's sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Christian and the speaker of the house a Shia.
There are hopes Mr Suleiman's appointment as president may help instigate a process towards national reconciliation and away from possible civil war. The Doha accord specified that the pro-Western parliamentary majority would have 16 seats in cabinet and the opposition would have a veto-wielding 11 seats.
But correspondents say Lebanon still harbours deep rifts that have resulted in political turmoil, economic stagnation and a string of political killings.
Under the Doha agreement, the pro-Western parliamentary majority will have 16 seats. The opposition will have a veto-wielding 11 seats.
The remaining three ministers will be appointed by Mr Suleiman.The remaining three ministers will be appointed by Mr Suleiman.