Lebanon's primeminister designate said he would work to form a government within six weeks tohelp pull the country out of a deepening economic crisis, dismissingaccusations he would be dominated by the powerful Iranian backed-Hezbollahmovement.
Hassan Diab, an academic and former education minister, wasdesignated on Thursday as the next prime minister with the support of theheavily armed Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, Lebanon's most influential group, andits allies.
"Previousgovernments in the last decade took a year to form and I seek to form agovernment in the next four weeks or a period that does not exceed sixweeks," Diab said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
On Friday night,troops fired tear gas in Beirut to disperse hundreds of youths who wereprotesting against Diab's designation, witnesses said.
The protestersthrew rocks and fireworks at the soldiers in clashes in the streets of theCorniche al Mazzraa district. Many of the youths set tyres and fires broke outin several streets.
The designation setthe stage for a cabinet without allies of the United States and Sunni Gulf Arabstates while underlining the sway of Iran's friends. The move will complicateefforts to secure Western financial aid, analysts say.
Lebanon, in itsworst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, has been seeking a newgovernment since Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned on Oct. 29 in responseto protests against a ruling elite seen as venal and incompetent.
Hariri was quotedin an interview with Lebanon's MTV channel as saying "one has to brace forthe worst."
Senior U.S. StateDepartment official David Hale, who arrived on Friday to underline Washington'ssupport for Lebanon's stability, urged the bickering political leaders toimplement speedy economic reforms.
