He said the state is responsible for failing to provide for the occupied areas for 25 years.

Intense argument began when Kenaan claimed a Hizbullah official called for "slaughtering" all those who collaborated with occupying forces following the Israeli withdrawal.

House Speaker Nabih Berri interrupted Kenaan and asked him to be more specific and name the official.

Hizbullah Metn MP Ali Ammar commented furiously on Kenaan's claim that the official was [Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed] Hassan Nasrallah.

Ammar said: "The Israeli-U.S. so-called democratic deluge on Middle Eastern countries seems to have reached Lebanon."

Kenaan claimed that he "did not mean to dehumanize the resistance or its leader but was referring to a reliable source: a quote from one of the LBCI guests in a talk show."

Kesrouan MP Michel Aoun raised this question in Thursday's session, hinting at granting amnesty to those in Israel so they could return home; Hizbullah MPs strongly oppose the plan.

The Lebanese Parliament continued debating the policy statement of Premier Fouad Siniora's government in preparation for a vote of confidence expected to take place today.

The first speaker Friday afternoon was Chouf MP George Adwan, a member of Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces.

Adwan urged the Government to declare March 14 a national holiday to mark Leba-non's Uprising for Independence. He called upon the government to set a timetable for accomplishing its goals.

He said: "The Cabinet included 194 projects in its policy statement, but fell short of stating how long each should take."

Adwan granted the government his vote of confidence but stated that he and his colleagues will monitor its progress on a regular basis and hold the Cabinet accountable for every setback or instance of misconduct.

Other speakers concentrated on the need to draft a new election law. Kenaan suggested that once the new law is approved, the present Parliament should dissolve itself and call for new elections to assure that the voters are represented fairly.

Bekaa MP Wael Abu Faour suggested that the present government need not work miracles but should at least pave the way for the next generation.

He said: "It is not sufficient to promise lowering the voting age to 18; the young generation wants to participate in the decision-making process and contribute to building the future."

Baalbek MP Hussein Haj Hassan concentrated on agricultural and development issues, requesting that government address the lack of infrastructure and planning in the Bekaa.

He said: "If the government does not act decisively, the people of the Bekaa will become beggars or criminals." He said according to a number of sources, 80 percent of citizens in his region live below the poverty line.

Following the vote of confidence, Siniora will likely travel to Damascus to resolve the ongoing border crisis. - Daily Star