BEIRUT // The Lebanese group Hizbollah and allied Christian politicians will boycott a cabinet meeting on Thursday, deepening a political crisis that has paralysed prime minister Tammam Salam’s national unity government.
No reasons were given for the decision.
Media run by Hizbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) of Christian politician Michel Aoun, the Shiite group’s main Christian ally, reported that Mr Salam had been informed of the decision.
Ministers from Hizbollah and the FPM walked out of a cabinet session on Tuesday. They are in dispute with other members of the government over issues including decrees passed without their approval.
The political conflict has obstructed efforts to find a solution to a crisis over waste disposal that has fuelled public anger and triggered anti-government protests that brought thousands of people into the streets at the weekend.
The Salam government, formed last year, groups parties at opposite ends of the Lebanese political spectrum, including the Future Movement led by Sunni politician Saad Al Hariri, and Christian rivals to Mr Aoun.
With the presidency vacant for more than a year, Mr Salam’s government has spared Lebanon a vacuum in the executive arm. But it has struggled to take even the most basic decisions.
* Reuters
