It seems that on the way back from Pope John Paul II’s funeral, Karami made the announcement that his new government will be formed by tomorrow and that elections may be delayed by up to six months!

Premier-Designate Omar Karami has scheduled the announcement of the new government from the Baabda presidential palace for 11 a.m. Monday, leaving it to parliament to decide whether the spring legislative elections could be held on deadline, An Nahar reported on Sunday.
Karami made the revelation in remarks to Lebanese reporters Saturday aboard the jetliner that carried him with President Lahoud back from Pope John Paul II’s funeral in the Vatican.

An Nahar said the elections were certain to be delayed three to six months for ‘technical considerations related to field arrangements of the polls.’ Syria’s loyalists of the Ein El-Tineh camp want the delay also to cool down the massive pro-opposition sentiment generated by ex-Premier Hariri’s assassination.

Asked whether the current parliament would extend its mandate beyond the May 13 deadline of its mandate, Karami said “that is up to the parliament to decide. We do not interfere in legislative affairs.”

The new government will be made up of 30 cabinet ministers, 18 of them from Karami’s outgoing government that resigned in the wake of Hariri’s Feb. 14 assassination. An Nahar said State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum would be replaced as justice minister by former cabinet secretary Hisham Shaar.

Loyalists are insisting that Suleiman Franjieh would be pressured into returning to the interior portfolio in the new government although he had emphatically denied to An Nahar that he would reverse his decision to stay out.

Vice Premier Issam Fares is reportedly certain to retain his post. He said Saturday “the biggest crime is to talk about ousting the president of the republic. He is the symbol of the nation and his removal amounts to toppling Lebanon’s institutions,” according to An Nahar.

Interesting. I’ll do a big Lebanon roundup tomorrow.