LEBANON: Lebanese leaders resume crisis talks over forming a unity government and adjourn until Saturday (November 11)

Rival Lebanese factions resumed on Thursday (November 9) criris talks on forming a unity government. Nabih Berri, Lebanon's parliament speaker, said that talks, which began on Monday (November 6), were positive, and would be adjourned until Saturday (November 11) in order to allow time for "fringe debates" between the rival factions. The factions are expected to debate a proposal to reshuffle the government to give Hezbollah and its allies nine ministers in a 26-seat cabinet, political sources said. "Today's session of debates was the best of all sessions. And just as we took a break yesterday and postponed the session until today so that we may achieve some results -- and I believe we did make progress -- leaders agreed today to take another break on Friday (November 10) in order to have fringe debates ahead of general debates to be be held on Saturday (November 11)," Berri told reporters after Thursday's session, held at the Lebanese parliament. Observers expect the anti-Syrian leaders participating in the talks to reject a Hezbollah demand for more cabinet seats for its allies that would give the opposition effective veto power over the Western-backed government. Political sources said majority coalition leaders would reject the proposal, put forward by former deputy prime minister Michel al-Murr. The coalition is willing to bring in representatives of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, but not to surrender a third of seats to the opposition, they said. A third of ministers plus one can block motions in cabinet and automatically bring down the government by resigning. Syrian-backed Hezbollah, which claimed victory in its war with Israel in July and August, has led calls for a change in the government now dominated by anti-Syrian politicians from the majority bloc in parliament. Hezbollah accuses Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of failing to back it during the war and of supporting U.S. and Israeli demands for the disarmament of its guerrillas. The guerrilla group, popular with Lebanon's large Shi'ite Muslim community, has threatened to stage mass demonstrations demanding new parliamentary elections unless more of its allies are admitted to the cabinet by mid-November. Samir Geagea, the Christian leader of the anti-Syrian Lebanese Forces party, responded to Hezbollah's reshuffle proposal when he told journalists following Thursday's talks that the anti-Syrian factions on their part would press to remove the pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud. "If we suppose that the government could do with some improvements, it is still more important that the post of president undergo a radical change, if we want to be logical and balanced about it," Geagea said. Hezbollah and its main ally Amal have five ministers in a government of Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud has one ally in the cabinet. Opponents of Syria control the other ministries. Rival demonstrations by the pro- and anti-Syrian camps would further destabilise Lebanon and could degenerate into violence. The killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005 led to mass protests against Syria, which many Lebanese blamed for the assassination. Damascus denies any involvement. Under international pressure, Syria ended a 29-year military presence in its smaller neighbour in April last year and anti-Syrian politicians swept to victory in ensuing elections

ITN Source | November 9, 2006

Tags:. .journalists. .speaker. .participating. .opposition. .israeli