BEIRUT—The Lebanese government approved on Saturday plans for a special international court to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
The 128-seat parliament now has to vote on the plan which needs a simple majority to pass.
The court is a major source of contention between the Western-backed government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the opposition led by pro-Syrian Hezbollah.
Tension between the two groups was heightened by Tuesday's assassination of anti-Syrian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel.
"(The cabinet decided to approve) the agreement between the United Nations and Lebanon regarding the formation of a special court for Lebanon…" said Information Minister Ghazi Aridi after the cabinet meeting, which took place amid heavy security.
The United Nations drafted the court plans in consultation with Lebanon's subsequently elected anti-Syrian government after Siniora wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan that his country's judiciary could not handle the Hariri case on its own.
Early reports from a U.N. inquiry into Hariri's death implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials.
Syria, whose critics have also accused it of involvement in Gemayel's killing, denies any role in the deaths. It complained on Friday it had not been consulted on plans for the tribunal and appeared to threaten not to cooperate with it.
Lebanon's government says its Syrian-backed opponents, led by Shi'ite group Hezbollah, want to weaken it and scupper the tribunal. The opposition denies this, saying it backs a tribunal in principle.
Six ministers from Hezbollah and other pro-Syrian factions quit the cabinet this month after all-party talks on a new government collapsed. They say the depleted cabinet is a puppet of Washington that lacks legitimacy.
Hezbollah, which is also supported by Iran, and its allies have said they will take to the streets to topple the government after it rejected demands for more say in ruling the country.
Aridi said the government had engaged in unfruitful eleventh hour talks to try and persuade the ministers to withdraw their resignations and reach a compromise.
Hezbollah parliament member, Hassan Fadlallah told Reuters: "There is no constitutional government and there are no decisions that are of a constitutional character since the resignation of the ministers.
"What happened today is a meeting of a political group and not a meeting of the government of Lebanon," he added.
"The opposition bloc will carry out its decided agenda that has now become more imperative to save the country from its dangerous crisis."
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