[Excerpt: Sixty-nine deputies out of 128 named Karami in consultations with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, political sources said......Hundreds of thousands of flag-waving Lebanese flooded central Beirut on Tuesday for a pro-Syrian rally called by the Hizbollah militant group that dwarfed previous protests demanding Syrian troops quit Lebanon.
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=I3WOIGABARC0WCRBAEKSFEY?type=worldNews&storyID=686978 Lebanon nominates pro-Syrian PM Wed Mar 9, 2005 06:16 PM GMT By Lucy Fielder BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament has nominated pro-Syrian Omar Karami as prime minister, a decision sure to anger the anti-Syrian opposition that has pressured him to resign in the first place. Syrian troops continued to redeploy to eastern Lebanon in the first stage of a two-phase pullout, security sources said on Wednesday. Some soldiers crossed into Syria with equipment. Sixty-nine deputies out of 128 named Karami in consultations with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, political sources said. Lahoud was now bound to charge Karami with forming a national unity government to lead Lebanon to May elections, and was expected to make the announcement on Thursday. Karami submitted the resignation of his government last week after large anti-Syrian protests in Beirut but stayed on as caretaker. Forming a national unity government will be a difficult task for Karami. To succeed, he will have to bring in a number of opposition figures and cannot simply reform a pro-Syrian government like the one that resigned with him. Hundreds of thousands of flag-waving Lebanese flooded central Beirut on Tuesday for a pro-Syrian rally called by the Hizbollah militant group that dwarfed previous protests demanding Syrian troops quit Lebanon. Lebanese newspapers, even those who back the opposition, agreed the rally was Lebanon's largest. "The greatest demonstration in Lebanon's history: Let's unite," leftist As-Safir daily said in a frontpage headline splashed over a picture of the crowd. "Hizbollah draws largest crowd 'in gratitude to Syria'," the opposition An-Nahar daily's headline said. It was the first major show of popular support for Syria in Beirut since the February 14 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri touched off daily anti-Syrian protests. The rival rallies, each using the Lebanese cedar flag to show patriotism, reveal deep rifts in Lebanon over Syria's role and the future of Hizbollah, the country's last armed militia. President George W. Bush said on Wednesday the United States was working with key allies on what steps to take next to pressure Syria if it refuses to fully withdraw from Lebanon. "We're working with friends and allies about steps forward, what to do," Bush said, reiterating the need for Syria to pull out its troops and intelligence personnel before May elections. "A lot of people don't understand that Syrian influence is heavy-handed through the involvement of intelligence services throughout the government. They must remove both." Bush said a Syrian plan to pull troops to the eastern Bekaa Valley was "a measure, but it is a half-measure." PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY Under Lebanon's constitution, Lahoud was required to meet all parliamentary groups to take their nominations then announce the prime minister whose name came up most. The mainly Christian Maronite and Druze opposition wants a government made up of people not running in the election, fearing a pro-Syrian government would manipulate results. Two MPs representing more than 40 opposition deputies met Lahoud, but did not nominate anyone and instead discussed some demands. They want Syrian-backed Lebanese security chiefs to resign and a complete Syrian pull-out, as well as an international probe into Hariri's killing, which they blamed on Damascus. At the rally, Hizbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah urged the opposition to join a national unity government. Berri made the same call on Tuesday. Main opposition figure Walid Jumblatt reiterated a call for dialogue with Hizbollah on Wednesday on a visit to Brussels, and thanked them for raising the Lebanese flag at the protest. "They have demonstrated their stand, they are part of the Lebanese. Hizbollah is part of Lebanon," he told reporters. Witnesses said army trucks carrying troops and rocket launchers and others towing artillery guns left several positions east of Beirut overnight and on Wednesday. Lebanese soldiers stood by and took over the vacated positions. Syria forces also pulled out from positions in northern Lebanon and witnesses said the troops returned home. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lahoud agreed on Monday to shift Syrian troops to eastern Lebanon by March 31. A statement said the Syrian and Lebanese military would then decide how long the Syrians stayed. � Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved. enditem ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. 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