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Last Updated: Jul 31st, 2011 - 17:29:39 |
Lebanon's Hariri abandons effort to form government
By Reuters
Sep 10, 2009, 21:00
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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said Thursday he was stepping down after more than 10 weeks of trying to form a unity government with opposition groups including Hezbollah.
The Syria- and Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies rejected a draft government proposed by Hariri this week. Hariri, a Saudi- and U.S.-backed billionaire, said he had held "rounds and rounds of consultations which always ended in obstruction."
"I announce to all Lebanese that I told President Suleiman today that I will step down from forming a government, in the hope that this decision will be for the benefit of Lebanon," Hariri said after a meeting with President Michel Suleiman.
Suleiman is expected to call for a new round of consultations with lawmakers to nominate a new prime minister. It is widely expected that Hariri will be selected once again by members of his majority coalition.
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