Lebanon's prime minister formed a new government Tuesday, breaking a seven-week deadlock and pushing the country toward parliamentary elections in May.

Najib Mikati announced the formation of a new cabinet of 14 ministers Tuesday after holding talks with President Emile Lahoud and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at the presidential palace.

"The new cabinet represents all Lebanese sects," Mikati said, adding that the cabinet members including himself will not run in the legislative elections in May.

He also declared that he will seek the resignation of pro-Syria security chiefs, a key demand by the opposition.

The 42-year-old Mikati, a former economy minister, was appointed as the new prime minister last Friday, two days after his predecessor Omar Karami gave up efforts to form a cabinet as consultations reached a dead end.

The country had been left without a government since Karami stepped down on Feb. 28 in face of massive protests by the opposition accusing Syria and the pro-Damascus authorities of being responsible for former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination.

Although Karami was later re-appointed, he failed to form a new cabinet. In an effort not to delay the crucial May polls, the opposition supported Mikati's appointment as the new prime minister.

The United States welcomed on Tuesday the formation of the new Lebanese government and said it is going to work with the new government to conduct free elections in Lebanon.

"First of all, we welcome the announcement by Prime Minister Mikati of a new cabinet. That cabinet will be submitted for parliamentary approval later this week," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a briefing.

"For the United States and our partners in the Security Council, as well as in the region, the most important thing ... for this new government is to move forward in conducting free and fair elections that are untainted by foreign interference, before the end of May," Ereli said.

Meanwhile, US President George W. Bush, in an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday, urged Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and shut down Hezbollah's offices.

"The United States can join with the rest of the world, like we've done, and say to Syria, get out -- not only get out with your military forces, but get out with your intelligence services, too, get completely out of Lebanon, so Lebanon can be free and the people can be free," Bush said.

"Ultimately, the people of Lebanon are going to decide the fate of the country," he added.

Bush said the United States and Europe would provide economic and security assistance to Lebanon after Syrian forces pull out and elections are held.

After the Lebanese elections are held, Bush said, finance officials from the United States and Europe would "work closely with international organizations, like the IMF or the World Bank, to help this country get back on its feet after occupation – help this new democracy succeed," said Bush.

Under heavy US and European pressure, Syria has withdrawn most of its 14,000 troops in Lebanon and has promised to be out before April 30.

But a highly anticipated UN report on whether Syria has fully complied with a Security Council demand to withdraw its troops from Lebanon has been put off by a week until next Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said.

"First the report is not ready and besides we are waiting on developments in the region -- both in Lebanon and Syria and the withdrawal -- so that I'll be able to give a fuller report to the (Security) Council in a couple of days," he said.

Syrian UN Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad said the Security Council is expected to discuss the report on April 27.

He said Syrian troops are now leaving Lebanon in line with Security Council resolution 1559 and the report should reflect this development. The resolution demanded that all foreign troops leave Lebanon.

In an earlier report, Annan said some 14,000 Syrian troops were the only foreign force on Lebanese territory.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2005)