Premier Fouad Saniora”s cabinet on Tuesday won a vote of confidence at parliament, allowing it to rule the nation into general elections after nine months.
Hussein Husseini, a veteran MP who has spent half a century in politics, surprised the house by declaring his resignation to protest against the lack of progress towards a political settlement to the nation”s ordeals.
Saniora said Husseini "sounded the alarm to all of us."
Five MPs voted no confidence and two lawmakers abstained, ending the seventh session designed to deliberate the cabinet”s policy statement since Friday.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced result of the vote, allowing the cabinet to rule the nation, despite what MP Butros Harb labeled a non-democratic administration for grouping both the majority and opposition in one executive body.
MP Bahij Tabbara, who did not grant the cabinet his support, said the nation is split and the executive authority should exert efforts to reunite the people.
Harb, in a lengthy address, criticized changing the house into an arena to settle conflicts.
He also criticized attempts by some factions, mainly Hizbullah, to restrict freedom of speech within the legislative authority, saying it was tantamount to police oppression.
"No one has the right to prevent legislators from expressing their views," Harb said.
Harb said the various Lebanese factions do not disagree on the principle of resisting the enemy to liberate occupied territories, but differ on the method of resistance.
He urged President Michel Suleiman, who is scheduled to embark on a visit to Syria on Wednesday, to work out agreements with Damascus on normalizing relations, border demarcation and the setting up of diplomatic ties.
He also asked the president to propose a constitutional amendment stating that a ban on naturalizing Palestinian refugees in Lebanon can only be lifted by unanimous vote at parliament.
To achieve reconciliation, the cabinet should strictly apply law on the media, banning agitation, Harb said.
Husseini, prior to declaring his resignation, criticized the Doha Accord for adopting non-constitutional and non-democratic agreements, such as banning ministers from resigning and merging the majority and opposition in a cabinet, which would not be able to rule.
Saniora, in replying to remarks made by MPs, pledged that his cabinet would work for reconciliation, declared the northern city of Tripoli a town in distress and pledged that he would seek regional and international assistance to help the people overcome economic hardships.
Picture: Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, left, shakes hands with Lebanese majority leader Saad Hariri, right, as he congratulates him during the ending of the last session to vote for the new cabinet after debating over five days a controversial government policy statement, at the Lebanese parliament house, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday Aug. 12, 2008. The Lebanese parliament has overwhelmingly approved a national unity Cabinet after a five-day debate on a controversial government policy that upholds Hezbollah”s right to keep its weapons. The vote was part of a deal reached in May by rival Lebanese factions in Qatar that ended an 18-month political stalemate Lebanon”s worst crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.
(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)