Yacoub Sarraf, who is loyal to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, tendered his resignation hours before Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was to convene his cabinet to discuss a UN-drafted statute for a special court to try the killers of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
Five ministers from Hizbullah and its ally, the Amal movement, resigned from the cabinet on Saturday after the talks on the pro-Syrian camp's demand for a cabinet reshuffle that would give them effective veto power collapsed.
Lahoud opposed holding a cabinet session on Monday, saying any government meeting after the resignations would be unconstitutional. Siniora dismissed Lahoud's objections and said the meeting would go ahead as planned.

Copyright Reuters, 2006