The president appointed an anti-Syrian official Thursday to form Lebanon's first government free from Syrian influence in decades. As one of his initial acts, the new prime minister visited the grave of his slain predecessor.

Fuad Saniora, a veteran banker and former finance minister, was nominated by 126 of the 128 parliament members, an unprecedented majority. He pledged to implement reforms and called on all Lebanese factions to join hands to achieve those goals.

Saniora was a longtime trusted aide of Rafik Hariri, the former prime minister whose February assassination triggered a sea change in Lebanese politics that led to the final Syrian troop withdrawal in April after 29 years.

President Emile Lahoud was obliged to designate the legislator favored by the majority even though relations between him and Saniora have been tense.

Saniora vowed to follow in Hariri's footsteps in fighting for "freedom, independence and strengthening stability." He also pledged to find Hariri's killers. Hariri's death, which the Lebanese opposition blames on Syria, triggered street protests and led to the Syrian troop withdrawal.

Despite the unprecedented support, forming a government may prove difficult because Lahoud, a pro-Syrian, can oppose the government makeup if it does not include his allies.

Anti-Syrian lawmakers who consider Lahoud a Syrian holdout have called for his resignation, but he has refused to step down.

Lahoud met Thursday with several legislators who have been among his harshest critics in recent months. But Saad Hariri, the son of the slain prime minister and head of the anti-Syrian bloc that nominated Saniora, stayed away, as did the anti-Syrian leader Walid Jumblatt.

Among Lahoud's visitors was Michel Aoun, the anti-Syrian legislator who returned to the presidential palace for the first time since being ousted by Syrian and Lebanese troops led by Lahoud in 1990. Aoun was interim prime minister at the time.

Saniora faces the difficult task of improving Lebanon's economy, suffering from a debt of US$35.6 billion, or more than 170 percent of the gross domestic product — making it one of the highest in the world.

Saniora must also deal with the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah guerrilla group, which is on a US list of terrorist organizations but which Lebanon considers a legitimate resistance group. The international community wants Hezbollah to disarm.

The UN Security Council expressed concern Thursday about an attack by Hezbollah guerrillas along the border area that killed an Israeli soldier, and again urged the Lebanese government to extend control over its territory.

On Thursday, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over Beirut and southern Lebanon, also calling on the Lebanese government to control of its southern border and prevent Hezbollah guerrillas from provoking a "dangerous military escalation" there.

Later, an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles on its side of the border, apparently checking that Hezbollah guerrillas who allegedly infiltrated Wednesday were no longer there.

The Security Council statement also expressed concern about the clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies July 1, 2005)