The 100-day truce that they are calling for since last month is aimed at having a good tourism season and helping the economy recover, they said at a conference held at Beirut's Unesco palace.

Most of the commercial sector in downtown Beirut has been closed after the pro-Syrian opposition decided last December to set an open- ended sit-in in front the governmental palace where Siniora's office is located, to pressure him to resign and form a national unity government.

Summer is traditionally a booming season for Lebanon because of the influx of tourists and Lebanese expatriates returning home.

Last summer's 33-day conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, and the prevailing political deadlock between the pro-Syrian opposition and the Western-backed government, had hard hit Lebanon's economy in general and tourism in particular.

Lebanon had been expecting more than 1. 6 million tourists in the summer of 2006, but the war destroyed all that.

Media Truce

Adnan Kassar, the president of the Economic Committee, and Ghassan Ghosn, president of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL), appealed to all political parties to observe a media truce from June to September 10.

"This truce will allow Lebanese from all walks of life to catch their breath," said Kassar at the meeting of 200 business and union leaders.

"Our leaders... do not have the right to lead the country to ruin. They should let us work," said Ghosn.

"The broadcasting media has its share of responsibility. They are organizing debates where politicians trade insults.

Let our businesses breathe again

"Nobody follows them any more in Lebanon but they are rebroadcast on satellite channels and scare those who live abroad," said Nadim Assi, president of the Beirut Merchants Association, who previously claimed that Thursday's conference could "make a U-turn in the economy."

"The businessmen want a breathing space to restore some of the losses," Assi said. "We want our hotels, shops and restaurants to be full again with Arab and foreign tourists. We do not want bombs and tension on the streets."

He also stressed the need to implement a truce to have a prosperous tourism season.

The 100-day truce campaign was launched two weeks ago to spare the country further economic deterioration.

"We are sending a strong warning to all concerned parties that failing to comply with the proposed 100-day truce will have dire effects on the economy," announced Assi during Thursday's conference.

Public exasperation with the country's political class is growing, with satirical programs ridiculing Lebanon's leaders a hit with viewers.

The organizers are not raising their hopes too high because they realize that Lebanon is at an important political juncture.

"The presidential elections are near and naturally the ambitious politicians will mount their campaign to improve their chances," one observer said.

Sources: Naharnet, DPA