Pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies will stage street protests to press their demands after the collapse of all-party talks on giving them more say in government, Hezbollah's deputy leader said today.
Five Shia Muslim ministers from Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, resigned from the cabinet this morning, hours after the collapse of the talks on the pro-Syrian camp's demand for effective veto power in the government.
"This was a first step. There will be other steps that we will discuss in detail with our allies and which we will announce gradually," Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Kassem said.
He said the all-party talks had failed because anti-Syrian majority leaders had refused to allow others effective participation in running the country.
"This campaign will be there to salvage the country from this mentality," Mr Kassem said.
Asked whether the government would face street protests, Mr Kassem said: "I can say that this campaign will be varied and effective. Going down to the streets is one of the important steps that Hezbollah and its allies will take."
Some anti-Syrian leaders have pledged counter-demonstrations should Hezbollah take the political crisis to the streets, raising fears of confrontations and violence.