Cabinet failure deepens Lebanese crisis

Pro-Syrian Prime Minister-designate Omar Karami announced today that he cannot form a Cabinet, a move that deepens Lebanon’s political crisis.

Today, and after many attempts ... once again we reached a dead end,” he said at his Beirut home. “That’s why I am confirming my decision to excuse myself.”

Karami’s decision to step down six weeks after his reappointment heightens a political crisis that has left the country without a government since February 28.

His move could seriously undermine the chances of holding parliamentary elections before the expiry of the current legislature’s term on May 31. A Cabinet is needed to call an election.