Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Omar Karami said Wednesday he can not form a cabinet after consultations reached a dead end once again.

"I feel sorry for the failure to form a government," he told a news conference at his residence in Beirut. "That is why I have invited you today to present my resignation."

Karami said he made his decision because of "conflicting demands" among the politicians.

He refused to elaborate but added that a five-hour meeting with President Emile Lahoud and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday failed to resolve last-minute hurdles.

He said he tendered his resignation to the president after that meeting but did not immediately announce it in the hope that contacts would resolve the differences.

It was the second time that Karami resigned from his post in six weeks after his predecessor Rafik al-Hariri was assassinated in a bombing attack in Beirut on Feb. 14.

Karami's resignation made May elections more unlikely in which the opposition expected to put up a strong showing.

But Karami said there was still enough time to hold the elections before the current parliament's term expires on May 31. Earlier reports said the cabinet formation was delayed by disagreements over an electoral law and key cabinet portfolios, for instance, the interior minister.

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has accepted the resignation of caretaker Prime Minister Omar Karami and announced he will consult with the parliament Friday to name a new prime minister.

Also on Wednesday, Lebanon marked the 30th anniversary of the start of its civil war with a "unity" festival. Participants called for strength and unity and an end to the current political crisis.

(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2005)