Lebanese president will not accept PM's resignation yet

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun will not decide whether to accept or reject the resignation of prime minister Saad al-Hariri until Hariri returns to Lebanon to explain his reasons, sources at the presidential palace said on Sunday.

Hariri left Lebanon for Saudi Arabia on Friday and resigned on Saturday in a televised statement that took the Lebanese political establishment by surprise.

There is no obvious successor to Hariri and by refusing to accept his resignation, Aoun is seen to be delaying political consultations on a new prime minister.