Sfeir efforts to bridge rift in Siniora government

Two delegations, one representing the parliamentary majority in the Lebanese parliament and the other the Lebanese Hizbullah party held talks with the Maronite Patriarch Nasrullah Sfeir.

The talks aim at resolving the government crisis which results from the suspension of both Hizbullah and Amal ministers in the Lebanese government since December 12. Sfeir called on all Lebanese to resolve up differences and draw a plan that brings them together.

The differences among members of the government team which is led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora led to convening the last session of the Lebanese cabinet under the absence of the ministers representing Hizbullah and the Amal movement, who objected to the government's call for an international court regarding the Rafiq Hariri assassination.

The chairman of the Hizbullah bloc in the Lebanese parliament Muhammad Raad called on the ministers who represent his party and the Amal movement in the government to continue boycotting the sessions of the Cabinet, noting that the obstacles which prevents the participation of the Shiite ministers in the session have not solved yet.

In the few past days, Siniora made talks with the secretary general of the Lebanese Hizbullah party Hassan Nasrullah, and the leader of the Amal Movement, who is also the speaker of the Lebanese parliament in order to rescue his government which is threatened of collapse.