BEIRUT- Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said on Tuesday the process of forming a new government had hit a big obstacle and blamed Iran-backed Hezbollah for the stalemate.

Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, a heavily armed group, has been pressing its demand for one Sunni lawmaker allied to it to get a cabinet portfolio, something Hariri refused.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington Editing by Andrew Heavens) ((lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com; +961(0)1954456;))