Lebanon began the search for a successor to Omar Karami, whose government resigned on Monday amid mass public protests two weeks after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Under Lebanon's constitution, the prime minister is elected by parliament members with a majority in favor.

Customarily, the prime minister is given to a Sunni Muslim, while the president is a Maronite Christian and the parliament speaker a Shiite.

Hariri's sister Bahia Hariri, who is also a Sunni like her assassinated brother, should be considered seriously as a candidate for the premiership, parliament member Boutros Harb told reporters Tuesday.

Walid Jumblatt, a parliament member from the opposition camp, told reporters on Tuesday that a transitional and "neutral" government should be formed to engage in "negotiations for a Syrian pullout, with a pullback into the (Lebanese) eastern Bekaa valley as a first step."

The opposition blamed Syria for the death of Hariri. Damascus denied any involvement in the incident but has said earlier it would redeploy its 14,000 troops in Lebanon.

Following the resignation of Karami, who was regarded as pro-Syrian, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told a news briefing on Monday that the United States welcomed the resignation, saying it "represents an opportunity for the Lebanese people to have a new government that is truly representative of their country's diversity."

The European Union on Monday appealed for dialogue among the Lebanese groups and fairness in the coming elections, stressing that Lebanon's parliamentary elections shall be held as scheduled in May under the sovereign control of Lebanon "in accordance with a free and fair electoral process, without any foreign interference or influence."

The Arab League called for the implementation of Taif Agreement, which outlined a gradual pullout of Syrian forces from Lebanon, while Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit urged all parties to "work together" so as not to "allow the Lebanese situation to explode."

Syria said the resignation of Kamari was "an internal affair" and will help end the current crisis in Lebanon.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said in a joint statement in London that Syria should withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

Rice urged Syria to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which was co-sponsored last year by the United States and France demanding the withdrawal of 15,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon.

Source: Xinhua