On a week when tension is expected to reach new levels as the ongoing race to depose Lebanese President Emile Lahoud becoming the major hurdle before any serious roundtable talks are held between opposing parties in the government, the resistance party Hezbollah hinted at resorting to the street to end the March 14th alliance drive to force Lahoud to step down.

Daily Al-Mustaqbal reported on Monday that Hezbollah MPs and officials are spreading the “secret password” in their speeches warning of the deteriorating economic conditions of people, threatening a crisis that could drive them to hitting the streets and creating social unrest.

The daily quoted the head of Hezbollah’s political council Ibrahim Amin Al-Sayyed warning of the dire consequences that would result from Lebanese officials insisting on disregarding the deepening social and economic crisis “while they are busy wasting time finding ways to remove Lahoud through constitutional ways, sit-ins or street protests.”

“What will happen when the poor and the oppressed will march onto the official’s castles asking for their rights?” asked Al-Sayyed.

Al-Sayyed said that those signing the petitions calling for Lahoud’s removal form office “have lost their dignity and are trying to regain it, which is an insult to the posts they represent and to the Lebanese people who elected them.”

Meanwhile, member of the Loyalty to the Resistance MP Hasan Fadlallah announced on Sunday that the legal avenue is “closed in the face of those calling for ousting Lahoud and perhaps they have dug themselves a hole when they ignored the balance of power presented by those who oppose the idea.” Fadlallah warned that the March 14th alliance does not have a two-thirds majority to depose Lahoud constitutionally and that paralyzing the work of the government could lead to social unrest “if they insist on their position”, indicating that dialogue is the only way forward.

An essential backer of the process to oust Lahoud, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said in his Sunday sermon that it was a “national duty to straighten the presidential situation and fill the gap that exists at that level.” Sfeir said that this could be achieved without the need for violence, knowing that unrest can rear its ugly head in so many ways and methods.”

After signing on the “million signatures” petition Sunday, majority leader in Parliament Saad Hariri announced that the seat of the presidency is very important “which necessitates regaining it in order to reinforce national unity.”

“Lahoud who had a hand in failing the Paris I and Paris II donor conferences will not be allowed to undermine the Beirut I meeting. His departure is a must,” Hariri said.

Telecommunication Minister Marwan Hamade said Sundasy “we are witnessing the last ditch efforts to keep Lahoud in office and undermine the international investigation into the Hariri murder.” He said that Lahoud loyalists are engaged in a desperate effort trying to convince Lebanese of the futility of going after Lahoud by pointing to the instability that could arise. Hamade assured that the drive to oust Lahoud will be executed with the help of “millions” including those whose who oppose the move, whom he described as “some wanting a price, others a position or a word of comfort.”

Hamade said that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun does not want to be comforted, but rather wants to know if he will be the next president, adding, “dialogue is what will comfort Hezbollah, but the party has a duty of comforting the Lebanese.”

Al-Balad daily reported Monday that its sources are convinced Qatar is launching an effort with Syrian authorities trying to find a suitable exit that ensures a “dignified” resignation of Lahoud. Qatar is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and can play an important role in the Hariri murder investigation, the daily said. “The next president should enjoy the benediction of both Lebanese and Syrian officials,” the sources told the daily adding “the candidate should be not be antagonistic to Syria especially with respect to politicizing the Hariri investigation as a weapon to attack the Syrian leadership.”

Daily An-Nahar meanwhile reported its sources as saying that the Cabinet will proceed as scheduled without the possibility of a boycott, indicating that the Museum Road is not an option because of security considerations. The same sources launched a double-edged attack on Aoun whom they described as someone who contradicts himself and on Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh “who is conducting questionable meetings with Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah for presidential considerations.”

Ad-Diyar daily meanwhile confirmed that talks are under way to determine the site of the next Cabinet meeting, prior to finalizing the agenda of the roundtable talks and the list of invitees, which it said “is not yet complete.” The daily quoted Baabda sources as saying that the president is convinced that the increased abusive language directed at him is a result of the March 14th alliance’s failure to find constitutional ways to depose him “and he expects more of the same this week.”

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