by Youssef Hourany

As the prime minister seeks the support of Arab countries, the opposition raises the specter that economic reforms will lead to the permanent settlement of Palestinians in the country.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – As the date for the donors’ conference, also known as Paris III, gets closer—set to begin on January 25—news tensions between government and opposition are emerging in Beirut.

 With Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fuad Siniora visiting Arab countries to get political backing and economic aid, the speaker of Lebanon’s National Assembly Nabih Berri is the latest voice to express concern and pessimism, arguing that the Paris meeting will only be a threat to Lebanese territorial integrity in favour of the Palestinians.

Siniora, who was in Kuwait yesterday, was able to get Kuwait to join Bahrain and the Emirates in the “donors’ group” that is backing his plan for economic reforms, which are however opposed by the opposition and the CGTL trade union. The union is in fact launching a series of sit-ins in front of government departments and offices. So far though, it has failed to attract many government workers. Yesterday only a few hundreds protested in front of the telecommunications department.

The union’s rejection of privatisations as envisaged in the government reform plan follows that of the opposition, which is more concerned about Palestinian refugees settling in Lebanon for good.

Nabih Berri, who heads the Shia Amal movement and a 27-member parliamentary caucus, raised the issue again.

He said that government’s guarantees lack credibility. In his opinion the “donors” want “to solve the Palestinian problem at the cost of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“Our country,” he added, “is threatened by a time bomb, a great danger, that must be solved before the end of the month. It is a demographic shift that would damage other confessional groups, especially Shiites and Maronites.”

At the same time, Berri said he was “open to the government on the condition that it would adhere to the line of action indicated by the secretary general of the Arab League” who, according to Egyptian sources, is expected back in Beirut soon.

Berri’s statement echoes remarks made by Lebanese President Émile Lahoud on Monday. Mr Lahoud said that “the government’s policies will lead to the permanent settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon and of Israel” in the region.

For his part opposition leader Michel Aoun, following the weekly meeting of his “Change and Reform” movement, said he supported the initiative taken by Lebanon’s Maronite bishops to come up with a common platform that would bring together Maronite politicians, who are currently split between government majority and opposition.

• lebanon
• crisis
• donors’
• conference
• paris
• fuad
• siniora
• nabih
• berri
• michel
• aoun
• government
• majority
• opposition