Lebanese legislators will choose a successor to Omar Karami, whose government resigned Monday amid mass protests two weeks after former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated.

Under Lebanon's constitution, the prime minister is elected by parliament members with a majority in favor.

Customarily, the premier is a Sunni, the president a Maronite Christian and the parliament speaker a Shiite. The assassinated Hariri was a Sunni Muslim.

Hariri's sister Bahia Hariri should be considered seriously as a candidate for the premiership, MP Boutros Harb told reporters Tuesday.

After the prime minister is elected, he or she will coordinate with the president and the speaker in choosing a cabinet, a move without deadline under the constitution.

Advice from former speakers and prime ministers will also be taken into consideration.

The new government will assume office after winning a vote of confidence in the parliament.

President Emile Lahoud has asked the outgoing Karami government to continue as a caretaker until a new cabinet is formed.

The pro-Syria Karami government resigned Monday under huge anti-Syrian pressure, one political fallout of Hariri's killing on Feb. 14 by a massive bombing attack in central Beirut.

The oppositions blamed Syria for the incident, a charge denied by Damascus. However, Syria has indicated it would redeploy its 14,000 troops in Lebanon.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2005)