Hezb quits Lebanese cabinet: Action termed warning to majority
BEIRUT, Nov 11: All five Shia ministers from Hezbollah and ally Amal resigned from the Lebanese government on Saturday, the head of the group's parliamentary bloc said, accusing the ruling majority of monopolising power.
“We have resigned because the majority insists on exercising power on its own,” Mohammed Raad said, referring to the anti-Syrian majority that has baulked at forming a unity government without first having guarantees that pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud will step down.
“We don't want ministers who blindly follow the majority,” Raad said. “This is about giving a warning to the majority.” The office of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said that it was still unaware of the resignations, which in any case would not bring down the government.
The move came after the failure of a week of talks on forming a unity government and months of political stalemate because of disputes between pro- and anti-Syrian elements in parliament.
The powerful Hezbollah movement had two portfolios in the 24-minister cabinet, which is dominated by anti-Syrian politicians.
Two ministers from Amal also resigned, along with Foreign Minister Fawzi Sallukh, who is considered close to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah wants to bring in opposition allies, represented by Christian ally Michel Aoun's parliamentary group -- with 21 of parliament's 128 deputies.
It also wants a number of cabinet posts that would ensure it had a `blocking minority’, a move opposed by the anti-Syrian majority that sees this as a Syrian attempt to return strongly to Lebanese politics.
Such a mechanism would allow the opposition to prevent the government from ratifying the formation of an international court to try those eventually charged for the assassination of former premier Rafiq Hariri last year.
An ongoing United Nations probe has implicated senior officials from Syria, which for decades was the power-broker in its smaller neighbour, and Lebanese accomplices. Damascus strongly denies any connection with the Hariri killing.
Lebanon received the final draft of a UN resolution on creating this court, which must be approved by the government before being sent to the UN Security Council for adoption.
Mr Hariri, whose son Saad heads the anti-Syrian bloc, was killed in a Beirut bombing last year that sparked protests leading to the departure of Syrian troops from Lebanon after almost three decades.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview in October that his movement would call demonstrators onto the streets if necessary.—AFP
