LEBANON GOVERNMENT ACCORD REACHED

BBC NEWS
iddle_east/8347965.stm
2009/11/07 08:15:56 GMT

Lebanon’s political opposition has agreed to join a unity government
under Prime Minister designate, Saad Hariri.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement says its alliance of opposition groups
agreed to the move after talks on Friday.

Hezbollah is expected to officially inform the Western-backed prime
minister of its decision on Saturday.

Relations between Saudi Arabia, which supports Mr Hariri, and
Hezbollah’s backer Syria have improved – leading to the breakthrough,
correspondents say.

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri – who is backed by the United
States and Saudi Arabia – led what many described as an anti-Syrian
coalition to victory in parliamentary elections in June.

He has spent the time since then trying to broker a deal with the
opposition to join a unity cabinet, but faced a number of disputes
over details, specifically the division of ministerial portfolios.

Syria was a significant political player in neighbouring Lebanon
for nearly 30 years, until the death of Saad Hariri’s father, Rafiq,
in 2005.

There had been growing concern among Western countries and the United
Nations over the political deadlock, and its impact on regional
security and the Lebanese economy.