BEIRUT, Lebanmon -- Lebanon's prime minister designate Fuad Siniora was Monday seeking new coalition partners for his government after negotiations to bring in the party of firebrand Christian former general Michel Aoun collapsed.

"It is impossible to respond to the demands of Michel Aoun concerning the ministries that his movement would like to have," said Siniora, who is tasked with forming the first government since the pullout of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement had insisted in talks with Siniora's Future Movement -- led by Saad Hariri -- that it be given the ministry of justice to put in place reform and an anti-corruption drive.

But Hariri rejected the call in public, saying the Future Movement needed to control the ministry amid the ongoing enquiry into the February 14 murder of his father, the former prime minister and tycoon Rafiq Hariri.

This prompted Aoun to tell Hariri that his bloc of 21 MPs, which swept the third round of Lebanon's elections for central areas, would not be taking part in the government.

The Future Movement heads the biggest bloc in Lebanon's parliament with 37 seats after the four-round election process which wrapped up last month.

Siniora now needs to open talks with other parliamentary blocs, but the future government could nevertheless be hampered by Aoun's rejection, as it is losing a powerful Christian potential ally.

Former finance minister Siniora was named Thursday to head the first government of the post-Syria era and pledged to try to reunite the country and embark on across-the-board reforms.

Pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud agreed to designate 62-year-old Siniora, a close ally of the late Rafiq Hariri, after all but two MPs nominated him for the prime minister's post.

Siniora has made clear that another priority for the government is to uncover the truth about the assassination of Hariri and subsequent killings of an anti-Syrian journalist and a veteran communist politician.

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