All Lebanese banks, companies and industrial plants will close on Friday and Saturday to induce the resigned ministers to return to Cabinet and push the endorsement of an international tribunal to try suspects in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanon's local newspaper Daily Star reported on Friday.

"All ministers who resigned must return to their posts and the Parliament must convene to adopt national decisions, and most of all endorse the creation of international tribunal which was approved by all parties during the national dialogue," said the Lebanese Economic Committee in a statement released on Thursday.

The decision was made at a meeting of the committee, which represents all major business groups in the country, to discuss the negative impact of Tuesday's assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.

The statement called on all parties to drop all plans for street demonstrations, adding that the Lebanese economy cannot bear further setbacks. It also called for the resumption of a national dialogue to ensure stability in the country.

Prospects for investment and economic recovery in Lebanon after the summer conflict suffered another severe blow with the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Christian leader, who was shot dead in suburb Beirut on Tuesday.

Fadi Abboud, the president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, told the paper that additional steps would be taken on Sunday if the demands of the committee were not met.

"We may extend the closure of all businesses indefinitely if the parties concerned remain adamant in their positions," he was quoted as saying.

With the resignation of six pro-Syrian ministers and the death of Gemayel, the Lebanese government is on the brink of collapse, as according to Lebanese law, the government dissolves automatically if eight ministers, or one third of the 24-member cabinet, quit the government.

That would lead to the miscarriage of a newly approved draft to set up the international tribunal.

It was reported that Lebanese anti-Syrian Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa announced Friday that he was resuming his duties, nine months after tendering his resignation over riots, which gives a precious boost to the government which had been left on the knife-edge.

Source: Xinhua