1. Wide of Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister meeting with Lebanese Cabinet
2. Various of Lebanese Cabinet meeting
3. Wide of Ghazi Aridi, Lebanese Minister of Information standing at podium
4. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ghazi Aridi, Lebanese Minister of Information:
"Our meeting today (Tuesday) is legal and the topic is the international tribunal and we haven't received until now any observation from any party and if there is, we are ready to study those observations. Today we reaffirm approval of a United Nations draft framework creating an international tribunal and will send it to the Parliament for approval, according to the constitution."
++NIGHT SHOTS++
5. Wide pan across protesters and their tenst outside Saniora's office
6. Various of protesters waving flags
6. Various of protesters tents, barbed wire barrier and soldiers guarding Saniora's office
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora convened his Cabinet on Tuesday in another challenge to the opposition that has been waging street protests to oust him, as Arab diplomatic efforts to end the standoff gained momentum.
The Cabinet session on Tuesday was to reaffirm approval of a United Nations draft framework creating an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
Holding a session, ignoring the hundreds of thousands of opposition protesters who took to the streets Sunday to demand power, is certain to further inflame tensions between the two sides.
"Our meeting today (Tuesday) is legal and the topic is the international tribunal and we haven't received until now any observation from any party and if there is, we are ready to study those observations," said Ghazi Aridi, the Lebanese Minister of Information.
"Today we reaffirm approval of a United Nations draft framework creating an international tribunal and will send it to the Parliament for approval, according to the constitution."
The tribunal is one of the divisive issues between the government and the opposition, which is also demanding political power in a national unity government or the ouster of Saniora's Cabinet.
Anti-Syrian groups supporting the government blame Syria, which denies involvement, and want the opposition to support the tribunal.
Groups supporting the US-backed prime minister have expressed scepticism over the opposition's assertion they support the tribunal.
