Jan. 13: Lebanon’s President asked Saad al-Hariri to stay on as caretaker Prime Minister on Thursday after Hezbollah ministers and their allies resigned in a dispute over an investigation into the killing of Mr Hariri’s father.
A statement issued by President Michel Suleiman called on the government to “continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed”. Mr Hariri, who was meeting US President Barack Obama in Washington when his fragile, 14-month-old “unity” government collapsed on Wednesday, was due to hold talks in Paris later on Thursday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The resignations of the 11 ministers followed the failure of regional powers Saudi Arabia and Syria to forge a deal to reduce tension over the UN-backed investigation into Rafik al-Hariri’s 2005 assassination.
The tribunal prosecutor is expected to send draft indictments to a pre-trial judge this month, and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Nasrallah has said he expects members of his Shia movement to be accused of involvement.
Analysts played down the prospect of open armed conflict between Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, and Mr Hariri, who is supported by Saudi Arabia and the US. But street protests, skirmishes or even a return to the bombings and political killings that followed the 2005 attack could not be ruled out, analysts said. The Saudi-Syrian proposals were never spelt out by either country. According to a politician close to Mr Hariri, they would have included a Hezbollah pledge not to resort to violence if its members were indicted, while Mr Hariri would ensure that any indictment was not exploited to Hezbollah’s political detriment.