Hezbollah, allied party ministers resign from Lebanon Cabinet

BEIRUT -- Cabinet ministers from Hezbollah and an allied party resigned yesterday , in a decision that could cost the government crucial support from Shi'ite Muslims.

Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said he would not accept the resignations. He has the authority to order the five Shi'ite Cabinet ministers to stay on, but it was unclear if his weak government could enforce the demand.

The ministers of Hezbollah and the allied Amal party resigned because talks on forming a government collapsed hours earlier, Hezbollah said in a statement broadcast by the Shi'ite guerrilla group's Al-Manar television station. Hezbollah accused the government of "insisting imposing terms and premature results for negotiations," the TV station said.

Hezbollah is by far the strongest force in Lebanon.

It has been demanding one-third of the seats for itself and allies in the 24-member Cabinet. That would give the party veto power over key decisions and the power to bring down the government if it disagreed with a move.

The governing majority, successful in forcing Syria to withdraw its army from Lebanon last year and buttressed by recent White House support, is not willing to relinquish full control.

Syria was forced to end its 29-year military presence in Lebanon amid international pressure and mass protests following the assassination in 2005 of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. A UN investigation implicated top Syrian officials in the killing, but Syria has denied any role.

The resignations are not enough to bring down Saniora's government -- eight Cabinet ministers must resign for the government to collapse. But they could cost him support among Shi'ites, the majority sect in Lebanon, and they might make it more difficult for him to govern the country.

Saniora's statement indicated that he wanted dialogue to bring the ministers seeking to leave back into the fold. The prime minister "strongly insists on their continued active participation in the government," the Hezbollah statement said.

Hezbollah's resistance to Israel during a 34-day war last summer won the group increased political clout in a country deeply split along religious and political lines.

Earlier, Hezbollah threatened mass street protests next week if political leaders failed to reach a deal on the national unity government. The highly organized group is backed by Iran and Syria.