Lebanon's PM plans to quit again

Karami says he will only head a national unity government

Lebanon's pro-Syrian prime minister says he plans to quit because he failed to get anti-Syrian opposition members to join a national unity government.

Omar Karami told journalists he was "not willing to form a government of this sort" and had informed the parliamentary speaker of his decision.

This is the second time in a month that Mr Karami will be stepping down.

His predecessor, Rafik Hariri, was killed on 14 February, sparking a wave of anti-Syrian protests.

An unnamed aide of Mr Karami's told the Associated Press news agency earlier the caretaker prime minister would stand down on Wednesday.

It has also been announced that the pro-Syrian general in charge of Lebanese military intelligence has taken leave of absence for one month.

Gen Raymond Azar's resignation has been one of the main opposition demands.

Opposition demands

The opposition has refused to join the planned all-party cabinet unless three conditions are met.

Firstly, they want to see an international investigation into the death of Hariri.

They also want Lebanese security chiefs to be sacked, and a bipartisan government to be formed with the aim of supervising elections to be held once Syrian troops and intelligence agents have left the country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced a two-stage withdrawal plan, and Syrian troops have begun relocating to the Bekaa Valley on the border between the two countries.

Lebanon has also agreed to co-operate with an international inquiry into Mr Hariri's death, after a UN report found that Lebanese security services had "neither the capacity nor the commitment to reach a satisfactory and credible conclusion".

Mr Karami first stood down on 28 February, but was reappointed by pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud on 10 March.