Four Lebanese ministers quit the government Monday in protest at a controversial Syrian-inspired constitutional amendment that keeps its protege President Emile Lahoud in power for another three years.
The three ministers from the secular leftist faction of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt are to formally notify Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri of their decision on Tuesday, their party announced, just hours after Environment Minister Fares Boueiz tendered his resignation.
The trio consist of Economy and Trade Minister Marwan Hamadeh, Culture Minister Ghazi Aridi and Displaced Persons Minister Abdullah Farhat.
After his meeting with Hariri, Boueiz told reporters he had felt honour-bound to step down after he joined 28 other MPs, including Jumblatt's faction, in voting against the change on Friday.
"It is natural that I should tender my resignation from the government, given our differences over the constitutional amendment," Boueiz said.
A Maronite Christian who previously served as foreign minister, he had signalled his opposition to the amendment the previous week by boycotting the cabinet meeting which approved it.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution passed the previous day backing Lebanon's sovereignty and implicitly censuring Damascus, Lebanese MPs bowed to Syrian pressure to change the law to allow Lahoud to remain in office beyond his original six-year term.
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