Interesting choice, too. It was a foregone conclusion that Saad Hariri probably wouldn’t try for it, as he and Lahoud would constantly clash — and that’s not good for a newcomer into politics (Lebanese politics, no less). But I thought that they may have stuck with Mikati, who replaced Karami. Here’s the article.

By Lucy Fielder

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese parliament on Thursday chose Fouad Siniora, the anti-Syrian former finance minister, to head the first government in three decades to take office without Syrian troops in the country.

President Emile Lahoud, a long-time Syrian ally, is obliged to respect the choice, though relations between the two are said to be frosty, and is expected to nominate Siniora as prime minister-designate later in the day.

Siniora’s name was put forward by the Future Bloc led by Saad al-Hariri, son of the assassinated ex-premier Rafik, and a majority of party leaders and independent MPs consulted by Lahoud have also backed him, making his appointment certain.

Elections earlier this month returned an anti-Syrian majority to parliament for the first time since Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war.

Syria pulled out its troops in April under Lebanese and international pressure after Rafik al-Hariri’s death.

Lahoud continued to meet bloc representatives and independent lawmakers, each of whom names a candidate for prime minister, a post reserved for a Sunni Muslim under Lebanon’s sectarian political system.

Agreeing on a government will be harder because pro-Syrian Lahoud can oppose the prime minister’s chosen line-up, expected to include many anti-Syrians and few of Lahoud’s allies.
…
Siniora was finance minister for most of Lebanon’s post-civil war period under the late Hariri, and remains an adviser to the Hariri family. He is credited with tightly controlling spending and introducing post-war taxes.

Seems sound to me. Beirut Spring thinks likewise.

It????????s also great that Seniora is becoming Prime Minister. A veteran Haririst Number-cruncher is exactly what we need for the role of Prime minister. Some challenges like reforming Social security and finishing privatization are going to be tough, but he has political backing.

Maybe when he’s done over there, he can come fix our social security system!