Opposition’s choice likely PM in Lebanon

Parliamentary talks over the appointment of Lebanon’s next premier show that the opposition’s choice for the office enjoys a head start over caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The two-day consultations started on Monday in the official residence of the Lebanese president in the mountain town of Baabda, overlooking the capital of Beirut.

Lebanese Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, has endorsed the opposition’s hopeful and former Sunni Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Press TV’s correspondent in Beirut reported.

The leader of the Progressive Socialist Party announced his decision to back Mikati together with six lawmakers from his faction.

The support is expected to give the opposition the number of seats they need to have to name the next prime minister.

After more than a year in office, Hariri was forced to step down as the country’s premier following the January 12 resignation of more than a third of his 30-member cabinet. The ministers protested that he was being influenced by the United States in a way that proved detrimental to national unity in Lebanon.

Hariri and the remaining cabinet ministers, however, have retained office on an interim basis at President Michel Sleiman’s request until another cabinet is formed.

Mikati has presented himself as a candidate backed by the opposition March 8 alliance’s consensus.

He has voiced his willingness to work with all parties in forming a new government and expressed hope that the opposition and the Hariri-led March 14 alliance bridge divisions between them.

However, Hariri and his allies expressed their refusal to be part of any government which is headed by the opposition’s choice and remained steadfast in their support for the interim leader’s candidacy.