Lebanon ministers walk out of cabinet meeting

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2006

BEIRUT (AFP) — Ministers from Lebanon's anti-Syrian parliamentary majority have walked out of a cabinet meeting in protest at the presence of pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud, in the latest political row paralyzing the country.

The ministers headed out of Thursday's session after a verbal clash between anti-Syrian telecommunications minister Marwan Hamadeh and Lahoud, whom the parliamentary majority seeks to remove from office, an AFP correspondent said.

The walkout came shortly after majority leader Saad Hariri said that talks aimed at breaking a long-running political deadlock were close to resolving one of the most contentious issues -- the fate of Lahoud.

"Solutions have actually been found to certain issues and there will soon be a solution to the...