Lebanese Maronite bishops worried about national division

Lebanon's Maronite Bishops expressed concern on Wednesday about growing divisions among Lebanese over an international tribunal that would try suspected assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and demands for formation of a national unity government, the Naharnet news website reported.

The Lebanese Council of Maronite Bishops urged the Lebanese to unite and work for the interests of the country, the report said.

The council "expresses sorry for the division over the international court, the national unity government and the new electoral law," the group said in a statement.

The statement came one day after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that his movement would resort to street demonstrations if round table dialogues fail to produce a national unity government.

Hezbollah and Gen. Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement have been calling for the toppling of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora's government and the formation of a national unity cabinet.

Lebanese rival leaders are scheduled to hold round table consultations in the parliament next Monday to discuss the issue of the government and the electoral law.

A few days ago, President Emile Lahoud slammed the international tribunal to try Hariri's suspected assassins.

Meanwhile, anti-Syrian parliamentary majority accuses Lahoud and pro-Syrian groups of calling for the formation of a national unity government to obstruct the formation of the court.

Hariri was killed in a huge bombing in Beirut in February 2005.

Source: Xinhua