Heavy security measures in anticipation of both events that are taking place in Beirut’s Central District threaten to paralyze the commercial activity there for the next 10 to 15 days. While this inactivity is spelling doom for traders, businesses and restaurants in the downtown area, the Cabinet session promises to hold within the walls of the Social and Economic Council’s building a beehive of commotion. The conclave will witness a confrontation between Lahoud’s camp and members of the March 14th alliance, who announced Tuesday that the petition carrying 71 signatures from MPs claiming the seat of the presidency “vacant” will be read at the freedom tent this afternoon in parallel with the session.

Preceding the session, the Maronite League presided by Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir will hold its monthly meeting with Lahoud topping its agenda. Al-Mustaqbal daily expects the pontiff to make unprecedented announcements with regard to Lahoud’s illegitimacy in Baabda in support of the March 14th ministers who would be meeting in the Cabinet.

The daily reported that Tourism Minister and Lebanese Forces representative Joe Sarkis would boycott the session should Lahoud preside over the meeting; however, Lebanon’s dailies all expected the Cabinet to proceed as usual since the March 14th alliance’s initial boycott was based on their disapproval of Baabda’s site, since that legitimized Lahoud’s tenure.

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qasem told Ad-Diyar daily that the role of the Cabinet is to proceed with its national agenda and not paralyze the country “and if it can’t, then it should resign.” “Obviously the crisis is in the other camp, I mean the majority in government,” Qasem said. The daily reported Wednesday that Lahoud will come prepared “ready to answer any question or accusation.”

An-Nahar daily said Wednesday that security around the session will be a joint effort between Lahoud’s Presidential Guard and the Cabinet’s regularly assigned manpower.

It added that inside the Cabinet, the March 14th ministers are expected to launch an early attack on Lahoud for his earlier assault on them in comments made in L’Orient Le Jour daily published last Saturday, including a viscous retort on the majority in government who have been intent on removing the president from office.

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