The United States said on Wednesday that the resignation of Lebanese interim Prime Minister ‘Umar Karami is an opportunity for Lebanon to move forward toward a new government and elections.
The pro-Syrian Karami first resigned on February 28, exactly two weeks after former prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri was assassinated. Karami stepped down amid mass demonstrations urging Syria to leave Lebanon and calling for an investigation into the murder. He was later appointed interim prime minister until the elections.
He resigned again on Wednesday after efforts to appoint a cabinet failed.
The U.S. says the political stalemate in Beirut is no excuse for delaying elections and a Syrian troop withdrawal, VOA reported.
In a written statement, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. wants the will of the Lebanese people to be respected. The U.S. is urging a new government to be formed as quickly as possible and parliamentary elections to be held as planned by the end of May.
VOA said officials have suggested that Syria might be manipulating the crisis to try to delay the elections and break its promise to finish its withdrawal from Lebanon before the vote.