Hezbollah plan daily anti-government marches

The Hezbollah-led Lebanese opposition today vowed to step up its protest campaign aimed at bringing down the government with daily marches.

Supporters of the opposition have camped out in central Beirut since December 1, turning the area into a city of tents where thousands of people gather daily, shouting anti-government slogans less than 100 yards from the government building where Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has been living.

Druse leader Talal Arslan announced the new measures at a press conference broadcast live by local TV networks after opposition leaders met at the residence of Hezbollah-allied Christian politician Gen. Michel Aoun, in the northern Beirut suburb of Rabieh.

Arslan said the escalation would follow a separate protest planned for tomorrow by Lebanese labour unions against tax increases. He urged opposition supporters to join the labour unions.

"After that, the opposition will escalate its own campaign in the form of daily marches and pickets in front of all ministries, government departments and public utilities," Arslan said reading from a statement, indicating the action could extend to the airport, port, and other public establishments.

Saniora last week announced the increases to the value-added and other taxes as a part of an economic reform package slated to be implemented starting in 2008.

Saniora announced the programme ahead of a conference in Paris scheduled for January 25 that aims to raise funds for Lebanon's reconstruction drive in the wake of the summer war between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

The opposition is calling for early parliamentary elections on the basis that Saniora's cabinet is unconstitutional and not fully representative of all of Lebanon's 18 sects, following the resignation of all five of its Shiite Muslim members.

The five resigned, along with an allied Christian minister, after the government rejected their demands for a veto-wielding share of the Cabinet.