Christian-Sunni opposition rejects new pro-Syrian government
Beirut (AsiaNews) Lebanon's Christian opposition has called the reappointment of Omar Karami to the post of Prime Minister "Rafik Hariri's second assassination" and has said it would not participate in the new pro-Syrian government.
Lebanese President Émile Lahoud yesterday gave outgoing Premier Omar Karami the task to pick a new cabinet. Ten days ago, Mr Karami had lost the confidence of Lebanon's National Assembly and was forced to resign following large scale rallies organised by Christians, Sunnis and Druze, who were demanding the withdrawal of Syrian forces from the country.
The Christian opposition yesterday met at Kornet Chehawan in the presence of the Maronite Bishop of Antelias and under the auspices of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
In a statement released after the meeting, the members of the Christian opposition urged all Lebanese to pursue the struggle for Lebanon's independence from Syria and expressed their solidarity with the other sectors of the opposition, i.e. Sunnis and Druze.
Ghenwa Jalloud, a lawmaker close to Hariri, stated that Sunnis will not take part in any government "unless our demands are not met".
In addition to the pullout of Syrian troops and secret service agents, the opposition has called for the resignation of Lebanon's pro-Syrian security chief and demanded that an international investigation into the death of Rafik Hariri be set up. Mr Hariri was killed in a terrorist attack on February 14.
To strengthen solidarity among Lebanon's various sectors, Patriarch Sfeir has sent his Vicar General to see Muslim leaders to explain the nature of his imminent trip to the United States, which includes a meeting with President George W. Bush scheduled for March 16.
At the same, the international community is not letting up its pressures on Syria to withdraw its troops from the country.
Hitherto Syria has vaguely accepted a staged withdrawal, pulling back to the Bekaa valley in eastern Lebanon.
Witnesses said at least 115 Syrian military vehicles crossed the border overnight from northern Lebanon. Smaller convoys drove into Syria after leaving positions east of Beirut.
Earlier this week Hezbollah, the only Lebanese political movement that is still armed, organised pro-Syrian rallies.
The European Parliament branded Hezbollah a terrorist group and urged EU ministers to act against it.
The European Union is under pressure from the United States to add Hezbollah to its list of outlawed terrorist organisations, obliging member states to seize its assets and take legal action against its members.
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