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More than 10,000 protesters in Beirut's Martyrs' Square cheered in triumph Feb. 28 as Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami announced his and his Cabinet's resignation. "I am keen the government will not be a hurdle in front of those who want the good for this country," Karami said. "I declare the resignation of the government that I had the honor to head. May God preserve Lebanon."
Karami's resignation meets one of the central demands of the Lebanese opposition movement, which has called for the pro-Syrian government to step down and for an interim government to oversee the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the national elections in May. Lebanese law requires the president, Emile Lahoud, to consult with Parliament in appointing a new prime minister and creating a new government. This negotiated transitional government will be acceptable to leading opposition figures, but Lahoud may still retain temporary control through his majority support in Parliament.
Though most of the opposition would like to see the removal of all Syrian figures in the Lebanese government while demonstrators are still in the streets, the likelihood of Lahoud's stepping down and the Parliament's being dissolved is low. Indeed, Lahoud and his Syrian allies may be calculating a way to postpone the May elections and stay in power by continuing negotiations with the opposition over the formation of the interim government.
If tensions build to an unsustainable level during the negotiations, Lahoud will try to keep the current Parliament intact until the elections by establishing an acceptable caretaker government. If he is unable to work out a temporary settlement, Parliament will be dissolved and early elections will be held -- which could lead to a return to chaos, at least in the interim.
After facing a heated parliamentary debate over the Feb. 14 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, the pro-Syrian government offered Karami's resignation to quiet the mounting opposition, which extends beyond the streets of Beirut.
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