Lebanese cabinet dissolved; prime minister steps down

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the self-made billionaire who rebuilt Beirut from the ruins of civil war, dissolved his Cabinet on Wednesday and said he won't lead the next government, a surprise move that could bolster Syria's role in Lebanese affairs.\nHariri's decision could make him a more powerful force in Lebanese politics, building support among a disillusioned public ahead of parliamentary elections in May.\nIt is more likely, however, to indicate that Syria is strengthening its hand in Lebanon by seeking to bring in an entirely loyal Lebanese administration to face the mounting international pressure on Damascus' dominance here.\nSyria has been the power broker in Lebanon for more than a decade.\nHariri, who has been prime minister for 10 of the 14 years since the end of Lebanon's devastating 1975-90 civil war, submitted his resignation to President Emile Lahoud at a brief meeting Wednesday, his office said.\n"No one disagrees about the magnitude of the internal and external challenges faced by Lebanon," he said in his statement. "I deemed it appropriate to present the government's resignation together with declining to nominate myself to premiership."\nLahoud accepted the Cabinet's resignation and asked Hariri to continue in a caretaker capacity until a new Cabinet is formed.\nBut Lahoud, who has been locked in a power struggle with Hariri for several years, did not comment on Hariri's decision to step down himself. The two reportedly have been discussing the formation of a new government for two weeks but apparently failed to bridge their differences.\nIn his statement, Hariri said the challenges facing Lebanon needed to be dealt with by a coherent team but cited the "known political realities" in his decision to quit and decline any possible invitation to form a new government.\nOfficials close to Hariri said his resignation was in earnest and that he would not lead the next government, but others maintained there may be still room for a Hariri comeback.\n"He won't be a puppet of Lahoud," said Ali Hamadeh, a political analyst with the leading independent newspaper An-Nahar. "This may not be the end."\nIn September, Parliament defied a U.N. resolution and approved a Syrian-backed resolution to extend the president's six-year term by another three years. Hariri initially opposed the extension, but ultimately sided with the pro-Syrian president.\nSince then, many have expected Hariri to dissolve the Cabinet as a formality in advance of the start of Lahoud's new term in late November, but few expected him to step down himself.\nThe president must consult with legislators before putting forward a name for prime minister. But Hariri's announcement came even before Lahoud designated him, as was expected. Lahoud's office said his consultations with lawmakers would begin Thursday.\nHariri met late Wednesday with the envoys of the United States and France, which led the U.N. Security Council action against Syria.\nU.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, emerging from the meeting, said, "A new government should be able to take decisions free of foreign interference."\nWith Hariri bowing out, Lebanon stands to lose a personality with extensive international contacts. The change will have considerable impact on Lebanon's dealings with the outside world.\nHariri, 60, is a construction tycoon with Saudi and Lebanese citizenship. His personal relationship with world politicians and businessmen and close ties to Saudi Arabia, an influential force in the Arab world, have attracted needed investment and made it easier for him to be less dependent on Damascus than many Lebanese politicians.\nBut he has been criticized for a postwar reconstruction plan that has run the country deep into debt.\nHariri lost a power struggle with Lahoud when the president took office in late 1998. The prime minister quit, only to stage a strong comeback in 2000 parliamentary elections that forced the president to reappoint him that year.\nHariri initially opposed the Syrian-backed push to extend Lahoud's term but abruptly dropped his objections after the intervention of Syria's top general in Lebanon.\nSyria sent troops to Lebanon in 1976 to help quell a sectarian civil war, but plunged into the conflict, emerging as the undisputed power broker after the war ended in 1990. It has a strong say in appointments and candidates and has frequently mediated among feuding politicians in this country, which has 3.5 million people drawn from 17 religious sects.\nOpposition groups have long called for an end to Syria's dominance and what they call interference in domestic affairs.