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Lebanon's Hariri Reemerges as PM Candidate as Khatib Withdraws

Reuters

   BEIRUT - Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician, Saad al-Hariri,
   re-emerged as a candidate for prime minister on Sunday when businessman
   Samir Khatib withdrew his candidacy to lead a government that must
   tackle an acute economic crisis.

   Hariri quit as prime minister on Oct. 29, prompted by mass protests
   against an entire political class blamed for state corruption and
   steering Lebanon into the worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil
   war.

   Under the country's power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a
   Sunni Muslim. Hariri has continued to govern in a caretaker capacity
   until a new prime minister is named.

   After Hariri quit, talks to agree a new cabinet became mired in
   divisions between Hariri, who is aligned with Western and Gulf Arab
   states, and adversaries including the Iran-backed Shi'ite group
   Hezbollah. Last month Hariri officially withdrew his candidacy to be
   prime minister.

   A consensus on Khatib appeared to form last week among the main
   parties, including Hariri. But Khatib failed to win enough backing from
   the Sunni Muslim establishment for the position.

   Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Lebanon's most senior Sunni
   cleric, told Khatib during a meeting on Sunday that he backed Hariri,
   Khatib said after the meeting.

   "I learnt ... that as a result of meetings and consultations and
   contacts with the sons of the (Sunni) Islamic sect, agreement was
   reached on nominating Saad al-Hariri to form the coming government,"
   Khatib said.

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