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Opposition Threatens to Resort to Civil Disobedience
Naharnet, Lebanon, January
3, 2008
The
Hizbullah-led opposition was reportedly getting ready for
civil disobedience if mediation efforts aimed at reaching a
settlement to the political crisis fail, local media
reported Friday.
The pro-Syrian
newspaper Ad Diyar, according to information obtained by the
daily, said the opposition's anti-government movements are
likely to take place between January 12 and 15.
Ad Diyar said
the opposition will resort within 10 days to "peaceful
measures" aimed at forming a national unity government.
It said among
these measures is a call for civil disobedience and peaceful
sit-ins.
The
pro-opposition Al Akhbar, meanwhile, said opposition leaders
would meet in the coming few days to "take a decision amid a
general mood that everybody is preparing for a
confrontation."
Al Akhbar said
the opposition will resort to "popular activities" to
prevent the pro-government camp from achieving its goals in
the event that mediation efforts fail.
It said the
anti-government camp has informed the Lebanese army command
that the opposition's stance "was not targeted against" army
chief Gen. Michel Suleiman.
Both camps have
agreed on Suleiman as a consensus candidate for the
presidency but the opposition wants to reach an agreement on
the future cabinet before electing a new head of state.
On Thursday,
media reports said the opposition plans to close Beirut
airport as well as major ports across Lebanon. They said the
opposition was also considering launching sit-in protests at
Bkirki and the U.S. embassy in Aukar.
Hizbullah chief
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned in a television interview
aired Wednesday that the opposition would take "decisive
measures" within 10 days if mediation efforts fail.
"The French and
the Syrians are attempting to arrive at a compromise ... but
if this mediation fails, there will not be others, and the
opposition will mobilize using all peaceful means possible,"
he said without providing further details. |
