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Lebanon's president has appointed Hezbollah-backed candidate Najib Mikati as prime minister-designate while protests raged Tuesday in several cities.

President Michel Suleiman's office said Mikati would form a new government.

Mikati told reporters that he wants to form a unity government. Reuters news agency quotes him as saying talks about the makeup of the government will begin Thursday.

A majority of Lebanese lawmakers - 68 in the 128-seat parliament - gave their backing to Mikati to replace acting Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who received the remaining 60 votes. Mikati served as prime minister of Lebanon in 2005.

Mikati and Hariri have each appealed for calm as demonstrations by Hezbollah's Sunni rivals turned violent.

The protests generally are aimed at the growing political power of the Lebanese Shi'ite movement led by the Hezbollah, which Washington has designated as a terror group.

Thousands of Hariri's supporters gathered in Tripoli for what they called "day of rage" protests.

Demonstrators attacked a truck belonging to the Al Jazeera news channel and set it on fire. Protesters also burned pictures of Mikati. Elsewhere, protesters burned tires and waved flags. More demonstrations were planned into the evening.

In a speech, Hariri said anger could not be expressed by "cutting off roads, burning tires or infringing on the freedom of others."

On Monday, Sunni lawmakers accused Hezbollah of carrying out a "coup" aimed at forcing an Iranian form of religious government on the Lebanese people.

Hariri headed a Western-backed government. He said Monday he will not participate in any new government led by a Hezbollah-backed candidate.

In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday that a bigger role for Hezbollah in Lebanon's government could complicate diplomatic ties and affect U.S. aid to Lebanon.

Hezbollah and its allies resigned from Hariri's coalition Cabinet earlier this month, causing it to collapse.

Tensions had arisen because of a U.N.-backed investigation into the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, the father of the interim prime minister. Media reports have indicated the tribunal would indict Hezbollah members, but the group denies having had a role in the attack.

Article by VOA News