Hizbullah: `There will be demonstrations`

Source: Daily Star, 14-11-2006
BEIRUT: A Hizbullah spokesman announced on Monday that the group and its allies will take to the streets to press their demand for a national unity government, but that the timing of the action had not yet been decided. Hizbullah media officer Hajj Hussein Rahhal said the party "will not change its stand, and will utilize all the democratic and peaceful means allowed to express this stand.
"Of course there will be demonstrations and a move toward the streets, but we haven`t yet decided when we will make this move. We also have to consult with our allies on the timing and the form of the move."
Hizbullah`s main ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, dismissed any correlation between an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri and the resignation of six Cabinet members since Saturday.
Aoun told reporters that "any attempt to link the tribunal issue with the failure of the consultations and the resignation of the ministers is a lie."
"They say that we were demanding one third of the Cabinet`s seats to have a veto power over decision-making in return for passing the draft of the tribunal," he said. "So [this proves] their claim that we will block the tribunal draft isn`t true."
The presidential hopeful said he had refused to accept an offer of four ministers to represent him in the Cabinet.
"How do you want us to integrate four ministers into the Cabinet when five ministers left?" he asked. "This is unacceptable, especially as we are demanding the formation of a national unity government."
Resigned Labor Minister Trad Hamadeh said the resignations came after the `March (Feb.) 14` Forces refused to share power.
"It was a wise decision which came after the ruling party refused the participation of others in governance and preferred to practice a monopoly over power," he said on Monday.
Meanwhile, reactions to the ministers` resignation continued to snowball on Monday.
Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf, considered close to President Emile Lahoud, resigned on Monday. The five Cabinet members representing Hizbullah and Amal withdrew on Saturday.