President Émile Lahoud of Lebanon on Friday appointed a pro-Syrian businessman and member of Parliament as prime minister-designate, breaking weeks of deadlock over the formation of a Lebanese government and paving the way for parliamentary elections to be held on schedule in late May or June.

The new prime minister, Najib Mikati, has strong ties to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, but he still won broad support from Lebanon's opposition movement in consultations between the government and Parliament over the choice. That cleared the way for Mr. Lahoud to appoint Mr. Mikati, edging out the departing defense minister, Abdelrahim Mrad.

"I hope I can embody national unity," Mr. Mikati, a former minister of public works, said in a televised statement after he was appointed Friday evening.

He commended the opposition for agreeing to break its almost three-month boycott of the government, and he said he intended to focus on holding elections on time and promised to support an international inquiry into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February. He said he also intended to take steps to revive trust in Lebanon's government and confidence in its economy.

He was appointed just two days after Omar Karami resigned as prime minister-designate, saying he was stepping down because he could not put together an interim cabinet. The country's opposition movement had refused to come to terms with Mr. Karami because of his strong ties to Syria.

The deadlock left the country without a government for two months after Mr. Karami's government collapsed Feb. 28 during public protests over Syria's role after Mr. Hariri's death.

The most notable support from the opposition for Mr. Mikati came from Bahia Hariri, the sister of the slain former prime minister. That proved decisive, some analysts say.

"It's not a little thing that Bahia Hariri gave him her blessing," said Joseph Samaha, editor in chief of the Beirut daily As Safir. "It's difficult these days for any prime minister to come into the job with opposition by the Hariri family."

Several opposition members told reporters that Mr. Mikati had won them over by promising to refrain from running for election, to hold elections on time and, most importantly, to shake up Lebanon's Syrian-controlled security services. But the opposition said it would take no position in the interim government.

Mr. Samaha noted that even Syria may have supported Mr. Mikati after his opponent, Mr. Mrad, seemed to have become a troubling choice. "He's their friend - he's Bashar's friend," Mr. Samaha said of Mr. Mikati. "If the Syrians are leaving and know that Mikati is head of the government, they may think it limits their losses."