BEIRUT (AP) – Lebanon’s prime minister designate vowed on Thursday to work swiftly to put together a “national unity government that overcomes political divisions” that have plagued the Mideast nation for years.
The pledge by Saad Hariri, who already served as prime minister for 14 months until early 2011, came shortly after the country’s newly elected president, Michel Aoun, asked him to form a new Cabinet.
That process can go on for weeks or even months, and usually involves much bargaining among Lebanon’s notoriously fragmented politicians. The government must then win parliament’s approval.
Aoun’s office made the announcement about Hariri after two days of talks with lawmakers over their choice of prime minister. The statement didn’t say how many lawmakers supported the 46-year-old Hariri for the post.
A Christian leader and strong ally of the Shiite Hezbollah group, Aoun was elected by parliament as president on Monday, ending a 29-month presidential vacuum in Lebanon. His election was made possible after Hariri endorsed him for president, based on an understanding that Aoun would then appoint him as prime minister.