LEBANON: Lebanon's political crisis shows no sign of easing with the pro-Syrian opposition continuing protests aimed at toppling the Western-backed government

Lebanon's political crisis showed no sign of easing on Sunday (December 3), as thousands of pro-Syrian protesters pressed on with a sit-in aimed at ousting the Western-backed government intent on holding on to power. Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah and its allies in the opposition, including some Christians, held a third day of protests at a tent city in central Beirut, within earshot of the office-turned-residence of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. As the massive crowd of protesters waved flags and chanted, Siniora, cabinet ministers, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and the family of slain minister Pierre Gemayel, held a prayer service inside the prime ministry. Siniora denied that his government was under siege. "We are not under siege, the sit-in is fine they are sitting there, it is their right of expression, we respect them, and this is their right," he said. Although the dispute is political, many Lebanese fear the situation could spark sectarian violence. Tension between Sunnis and Shi'ites is high, as is bad feeling between Christians who support leaders allied to the rival camps. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who held talks with Siniora on Sunday, said the opposition is a strange minority which acts independently from the government. "We are here in the prime ministry of Lebanon with Fouad Siniora, the legitimate and constitutional prime minister of the whole of Lebanon and the government is legitimate and constitutional. We are here to stay, we are in Beirut and we will stay in Beirut and those who ask for participation and claim that they are a minority, this minority is strange, I've never seen a minority that owns tens of thousands of rockets and artillery," Jumblatt told reporters. Outside the St George Cathedral in Beirut city centre, there was a sea of orange, the colour of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun's movement, as protesters gathered to hear a Maronite priest conduct Sunday mass. In the evening riots erupted across Beirut. In a sign the protests could disintegrate into violence, a van carrying protesters was stoned as it drove through the Sunni QasQas neighbourhood of Beirut, security sources said. The army broke up the crowd, but not before the passengers left the vehicle and chased some stone throwers, smashing a few cars. Four passengers were injured.. Secretary general of Arab League Amr Mousa said that the Arab world is willing to help in maintaining national unity in Lebanon following a meeting he had with Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora at the Prime Ministers office. "I hope it will not escalate. Our job is to work with all the parties on the basis of retrieving the national unity in Lebanon, we believe Lebanese are in the same boat and we in the Arab world are so concerned about Lebanon and ready to help and maintain the peaceful national unity," Mousa said. Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition were camped out late into the evening. Protesters pitched tents near central Beirut's Martyrs' Square and on streets leading to the government's headquarters. The opposition led by Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, has been demanding effective veto power in the government, whose majority comprises anti-Syrian politicians from Christian, Sunni Muslim and Druze parties. But these politicians say the opposition only wants to weaken the government and derail a U.N. tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 murder of ex-premier Rafik al-Hariri. A preliminary U.N. inquiry has implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing, which led to Syrian forces being forced to withdraw from Lebanon last year. Six opposition ministers resigned from the cabinet last month after unity talks collapsed. But the depleted government approved plans for the tribunal, sparking the latest protests.

ITN Source | December 4, 2006

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