Hariri's delay offers chance of stability

BEIRUT - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to postpone his resignation has provided Lebanon with the chance to maintain political stability, with Hezbollah showing pragmatism and the possibility of compromise, analysts said.

When Saudi TV news channel al-Arabiya broadcast a recording of Hariri announcing, in Riyadh on Nov. 4, his decision to step down as prime minister, Lebanon's one-year-old government was once again plunged into uncertainty.

A year prior, on Oct. 31, Michel Aoun was elected Lebanon's president, officially ending two and a half years of presidential vacuum and political stagnation.