New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed "regrets" on Thursday that prime minister designate Saad Hariri had to step down for failing to form a new government.

Ban said he hoped that President Michel Suleiman's consultations with political factions "will be successful and that the Lebanese continue working towards the goal of a unity government."

"The UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, will continue to talk to all of the parties and encourage them to work in this direction," Ban said.

Hariri, a pro-Western politician, is the son of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was murdered in Beirut in 2005. The younger Hariri was appointed prime minister three months ago and had not been able to form new government.  dpa