( CNN ) -- The news of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati 's resignation spurred fierce weekend clashes in his hometown , the coastal city of Tripoli . Residents lobbed rockets and fired bullets at one another Saturday , leaving at least three people wounded , state news agency NNA reported . The city is home to both Alawite and Sunni Muslims , and sectarian tensions have worsened in recent months as the civil war in neighboring Syria rages on . The Alawites support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . The Sunnis want his ouster . The Lebanese government has remained officially neutral in the conflict -- even as it has firmly , but quietly , supported al-Assad . And Mikati , while a Sunni , led that effort . His departure , therefore , comes at a sensitive time for Lebanon . Analysts say the longer the Syrian conflict rages , the more destabilized Lebanon will become . Deadlock prompts resignation . Mikati announced the resignation of his government Friday after he said he could not negotiate a breakthrough on two fronts : . -- Preparations for the country 's June parliamentary elections . -- Extending the term of the head of Lebanon 's internal security forces . The group to blame in both cases is Hezbollah , a powerful Shiite political party that has links with the al-Assad government and dominates Lebanon 's government . In the case of election preparations , lawmakers have been unable to come to an agreement on an election law . In the second instance , Hezbollah distrusts Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi , the security forces head . Rifi , like Mikati , is a Sunni . `` The prime minister can not work in such conditions . He needs to respect the constitution , '' his spokesman , Fares Gemayyel , said . Complicated politics . Politics in Lebanon is complicated as it constantly struggles to maintain a balance among its religious and ethnic sects . By law , the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim , the parliamentary speaker a Shiite , and the president a Christian . Mikati became prime minister two years ago , after Hezbollah brought down the previous unity government . Since then , he has maintained a balance between pro- and anti-al-Assad factions . His government , says Middle East expert Chris Phillips , was more interested in keeping Lebanon from getting dragged into the conflict . But in recent months , he has been at odds with Hezbollah . And the latest issues brought the tension to the surface . The Syrian connection . The major concern for Lebanon is that Syria 's troubles will reopen the wounds of Lebanon 's 15-year-long civil war , which ended in 1990 . Aside from its southern border with Israel , Lebanon is entirely surrounded by Syria , and was considered part of `` greater Syria '' until the end of World War I . It became an independent country in 1943 but has been strongly influenced by Syria both politically and militarily for much of the time since . Syrian troops were deployed in Lebanon between 1976 and 2005 , primarily in the north -- ostensibly at first as peacekeepers to help stop Lebanon 's long civil war -- but maintained a significant presence long after the fighting stopped in 1990 . This all changed in 2005 after former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed by a car bomb in Beirut . Anti-al-Assad elements in Lebanon accused the Syrian government of being behind the attack , and popular protests -- along with international pressure -- forced the Syrian military to withdraw from the country . Since then , Lebanon 's two most prominent political blocs have been sharply divided in their attitude toward Syria : the ruling pro-Syria alliance led by Mikati and a group of anti-Syrian factions led by Saad Hariri , son of the assassinated former prime minister . In addition , thousands of refugees have poured into Lebanon since the conflict in Syria began . Costly uncertainty . In this climate , any instability in Lebanese politics can only exacerbate the spillover from the Syrian war . `` Now it is important for dialogue to begin for a salvation government to be established during this difficult period , '' Mikati tweeted after submitting his resignation . United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also called on cooler heads to prevail . `` At this challenging time for the region , the secretary-general calls on all the parties in Lebanon to remain united behind the leadership of President ( Michel ) Sleiman , '' a statement from his office said . CNN 's Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report .
His appointment comes at a sensitive time for Lebanon . Mikati says he could n't negotiate a peace on all fronts . Lebanon constantly struggles to maintain a balance among its neighbours .