Siniora: Troops to ensure freedoms

Beirut: The prime minister on Monday urged Lebanese to ignore a Hezbollah call for a general strike to topple his government.

The mass walkout was expected to increase tensions on the street between the opposition and pro-government groups seeking to thwart the action.

"We call on all the Lebanese to ignore the scare mongering campaign," Fouad Siniora told a news conference, referring to warning from the Hezbollah-led opposition that they will attempt to enforce the strike Tuesday.

He called on the people to have faith in the security forces, saying they will ensure security and freedoms.

He did not specify what the police and army would do, but he told the French newspaper Le Monde in remarks published yesterday that the 'security forces will do what they must to prevent a paralysis of public life.'

He 'ruled out' the splintering of the security forces as occurred during the 1975-90 civil war.

In his news conference, Siniora also extended a hand to the opposition, repeating an offer to meet some of their demands to expand the Cabinet to include its representatives but falling short of the opposition demand for veto power over decisions.

The opposition's plans for the strike today come as Siniora and his economic team prepare to seek financial aid at an international donors' conference in Paris on Thursday.

Opposition and labour groups have rejected the reform proposals that are scheduled to take effect beginning in 2008.

Siniora criticised the opposition, saying while the government seeks international support, its opponents 'want to give the Arabs and the world a disturbing picture of Lebanon.'

The opposition has criticised the Paris conference, claiming the donor money and loans -which local analysts set around $5 billion (Dh18.35 billion) - would only increase the national debt and further weaken the economy.

The summer war between Hezbollah and Israel deepened Lebanon's economic woes.

Leaders of today's strike have hinted of unrest and pro-government groups are waging a campaign to frustrate the expected strike.

Opposition leader Michel Aoun and northern politician Suleiman Franjieh, Christian allies of Hezbollah, have warned against trying to break the strike.

"We will not prevent people from going to work but we advise them not to - that is if they can get there," Aoun told a news conference over the weekend.

"They [the government] will see something they've never witnessed before," Franjieh told a rally on Sunday.