BEIRUT: Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his political allies will not join the government of his successor, Hezbollah-backed Najib Mikati, sources close to Hariri said Thursday. Mikati started talks Thursday to form a government to succeed Hariri, who was brought down by resignations of Hezbollah ministers and their allies two weeks ago, and had urged his rival to join a government of all Lebanese factions. “March 14 will not take part in the formation of the government,” one source told Reuters, referring to Hariri's coalition. The movement had earlier demanded Mikati maintain Lebanon's ties to a UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 killing of Hariri's father, Rafiq Hariri. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem said Thursday he hoped a national unity government would be formed which all Lebanese parties would join. Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague, speaking alongside Moualem during a visit to Damascus, called for a government with “broadest possible support” which upholds its obligations to the UN
