Lebanese government collapses after eleventh minister resigns

[News_Editor]

Lebanese government collapses after eleventh minister resigns

2011-01-13 00:33:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIRUT (BNO NEWS) - Lebanese Minister of State Adnan Sayyed Hussein announced his resignation on Wednesday, bringing down Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government, local media reported.

Hussein's resignation came moments after 10 other ministers from the March 8 coalition announced their resignation. The ministers agreed to resign after the collapse of the Saudi-Syrian initiative, which failed to resolve the political tension stemming from the U.N.-backed investigation of the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

"We will seek all means to reach solutions that can guarantee stability, calm and maintain national unity, which is the only guarantee for all the Lebanese to confront the challenges," Hariri, who is currently in Washington, said after the collapse of the initiative, according to the Daily Star newspaper.

Before announcing the resignations, the coalition had given Hariri and President Michel Sleiman a Wednesday morning deadline to call for a Cabinet session to end Lebanon's cooperation with the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The Cabinet has been paralyzed for months as rival factions argue that the U.N. investigation is being mislead with false testimonies.

Meanwhile, the White House released a readout of Hariri's meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. The meeting was held before the government collapse and therefore the leaders did not discuss this.

"The President commended the Prime Minister for his steadfast leadership and efforts to reach peace, stability, and consensus in Lebanon under difficult circumstances," the White House said in a statement. "The efforts by the Hizballah-led coalition to collapse the Lebanese government only demonstrate their own fear and determination to block the government’s ability to conduct its business and advance the aspirations of all of the Lebanese people."

The White House said that the two leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and independence, implementing all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and continuing a wide-ranging and long-term partnership between the United States and Lebanon.

During their meeting, Obama stressed the importance of the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as a means to help end the era of political assassinations with impunity in Lebanon. "The President and Prime Minister specifically discussed united efforts with France, Saudi Arabia, and other key international and regional actors to maintain calm in Lebanon and ensure that the work of the Tribunal continues unimpeded by third parties," the White House said.

Obama and Hariri also expressed their determination to achieve both stability and justice in Lebanon during this challenging period of government volatility, and agreed that all parties should avoid threats or actions that could cause instability.

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