Lebanese opposition escalated its anti-government campaign on Tuesday, which has entered a new phase with a new wave of protest against economic reforms proposed by the cabinet.
 
Hundreds of protestors, including opposition activists, demonstrated Tuesday near the offices of a Finance Ministry department in Beirut.

The demonstrators, shouting anti-government slogans, gathered outside the value-added tax (VAT) department of the Finance Ministry on Beirut's main Museum thoroughfare amidst strict security measures.

The Lebanese General Federation of Labor Unions (GFLU) set Tuesday as the date to launch a sit-in near offices of the finance and justice ministries to protest against a six-point socio-economic recovery and reform plan adopted last week by the Seniora government.

The plan was claimed by the government as aimed at spurring economic growth and helping ease the burden of Lebanon's public debt of US$41 billion.

It includes tax reforms, raising VAT rates from current 10percent to 12 percent and privatizing mobile telephone and electricity sectors, which upset many of the country's workers and people of limited income.

According to GFLU President Ghassan Ghoson, the trade union also planned a sit-in near the Energy Ministry at 11 AM (09:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Lebanese sectarian tension began to escalate in November, 2006,when six pro-Syrian ministers resigned after Seniora and the anti-Syrian majority in the parliament rejected the opposition's demand for a new national unity government.

The opposition has been camping out in central Beirut since Dec.1, calling for the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.

It, however, has now decided to lent its support to the labor union's call to protest against the government's socio-economic reform plan, which will be submitted to the Paris III donors' conference on Jan. 25.

On Monday, the opposition announced to launch serial protests targeting public offices throughout Lebanon.

Ex-minister Talal Arslan said that the opposition alliance "adopts the Lebanese General Federation of Labor Unions (GFLU)protest and decided to upgrade it into daily movements that would spread to all ministries and official facilities."

Responding to the demonstrations, Lebanese army commander General Michel Suleiman said on Tuesday that the military will protect public institutions from any "break in" attempt.

"The Lebanese army will by no means allow any break into any public or private institution," Suleiman said in an interview published by the daily As Safir.

Police officers and army units blocked streets leading to residential neighborhoods surrounding the protest site in an apparent effort to avoid a confrontation between the demonstrators and supporters of the March 14 parliamentary majority that rejected the strike.

Suleiman said the role of the Lebanese army is "to protect the demonstrators... but we will not tolerate any disturbance."

The opposition alliance, led by Hezbollah, launched an open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut on Dec. 1 to topple the Seniora majority government, declaring the anti-Syrian cabinet illegitimate and demanding early parliamentary elections and a new electoral law.

Lebanese parliamentary majority has slammed opposition's decision to broaden the scope of protests in central Beirut to involve other vital areas.

In a statement earlier on Monday, it accused the opposition of "pursuing the policy of unilateralism, procrastination, trouble-making and escalation", while the government was doing its utmost to make an international donor conference due to be held in Paris later this month a successful one.

Meanwhile, the pro-government majority also accused the opposition of attempting to "abort the international tribunal" on the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, insisting on defending Lebanon's national economy.

The only way to settle Lebanon's accumulated financial, economic and social crises is a "consensus on a reform program that may enable Lebanon to make use of unprecedented Arab and international support for a country like Lebanon," they argued.

The growing conflicts in Lebanon has drawn world concerns, especially from Arab countries.

In press statements on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit urged all Lebanese factions to overcome differences to help end the political crisis in the country.

All Lebanese powers should be against any provocative actions that could be seen as sectarian incitement, said Abul Gheit, noting that miscalculations could have dire consequences for Lebanon and the entire region.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2007)