Lebanon's opposition will call a general strike next week, stepping up a campaign to topple the government, a senior opposition political source said today.
The opposition, which includes Shi'ite Muslim groups Hezbollah and Amal and Christian leader Michel Aoun, has been demanding veto power in the government.
"After the failure of political initiatives, the opposition has decided to escalate its campaign," the source said. "It will call a comprehensive general strike for Tuesday."
The strike would come two days before an international donor conference in Paris which Western-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora hopes will bring billions of dollars of aid to an economy reeling from Hezbollah's July-August war with Israel.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose group is backed by Syria and Iran, was due to speak on its al-Manar television station from 9.00pm (1900 GMT) on Friday.
The opposition has been camped outside Mr Siniora's offices in central Beirut since December 1st to press its demands for more say in a government which Hezbollah claims is controlled by the United States.
Mr Siniora has resisted the opposition demands and instead pressed on with plans for the Paris conference, which US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to attend.
The politicians who control government claim the opposition is trying to mount what they call a coup that would allow more Syrian and Iranian influence.
Syrian troops were forced out of Lebanon in 2005 by international pressure and mass protests triggered by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, whose killing many Lebanese blamed on Damascus. Syria denies involvement.