Thousands of Hizbullah and other pro-Syrian protestors continued to carry out an open-ended sit-in to topple the government for the third day Sunday with Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's cabinet vowing to "resist" calls to quit.
TheBeirut-based An Nahar newspaper reported the Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hizbullah refused to unblock the main road leading to the Grand Serail as the rally continued into the night with mainly Shiite demonstrators waving Lebanese flags.
Saniora and several other cabinet ministers have been residing in the Grand Serail since the Nov. 21 assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.
An Nahar said contacts overnight with representatives from the Lebanese army command and Internal Security Forces as well from Hizbullah and its Amal movement ally failed to convince the demonstrators go into camping on side roads within the vicinity of the Grand Serail, rather than on the doorstep of Saniora's offices.
Pro-Syrian Amal leader Nabih Berri, who is also Parliament Speaker, vowed Saturday evening to "settle the issue within two days."
Security sources told Naharnet Sunday that one of five roads leading to the Grand Serail has been blocked since the sit-in started Friday evening. They said the blocked road was a side street.
