BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanon’s Higher Shiite Council said on Wednesday the present discord should remain political ... it shouldn't be turned into a sectarian dispute which foreign parties take advantage of with no regard for the Lebanese people's interests.

In a statement, the council said the formation of a national unity government was the only way out of the political deadlock afflicting Lebanon, calling on the Lebanese to unite and reject foreign interference in the country's internal affairs.

It said: "Resorting to foreign forces deepens divisions among the Lebanese and thwarts the work of the state."

"When have foreign forces been alternatives to national unity?" the council asked. "National unity can only be preserved through a national unity government aimed at rescuing the country from the crisis it is plunging into."

The council said the current crisis in Lebanon was the result of an "absence of national cooperation" in the political decision-making process.

As opposition protests in Downtown Beirut to demand the government resign entered their sixth day, the council said the demonstrations were constitutional and peaceful.

Condemning the death of Ali Ahmad Mahmoud, a 20-year-old Amal member killed Sunday night during violent clashes, the council called on authorities to arrest the "criminals and bring them to justice."

The council warned Arab states against taking sides in Lebanon's enduring deadlock.