Lebanon parliament nominates Siniora as PM

by cynthia yoo | May 27, 2008 at 04:33 pm | 92 views | add comment | 0 recommendations

Following on the heels of the appointment of President Michel Suleiman, Lebanon's coalition government has agreed to nominate incumbent Prime Minister Fouad Sinniora.

Newly-elected President Michel Suleiman has to appoint the prime minister nominated by a majority of his MPs.
The group will brief Mr Suleiman on their choice in parliament later.

The late-night agreement means Mr Siniora will head a cabinet in which Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition is guaranteed effective veto power.

"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.

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.

Former army chief Michel Suleiman took up residence in Beirut's presidential palace on Monday.

He will begin consultations with political blocs later on Wednesday to form a new 30-member cabinet.

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.