New calls for Lahoud's resignation
Lebanon, Politics, 9/5/2005

Pressure on the Lebanese president Emil Lahoud to push him to resign increased after one Lebanese judge issued on Saturday warrant of arrest against four senior aides accusing them of involvement in the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

Lebanese parliamentarian and Druz leader Walid Junblat on Sunday told the Lebanese daily al-Mustaqbal, owned by al-Hariri family, that "the extension for Lahoud expired and the security system collapsed," adding that he had earlier called for knowing the facts of the assassination case because justice and facts preserve democracy, and the historical relations between Lebanon and Syria."

Worthy mentioning that President Lahoud's term was extended by 4 years in 2003, during the Syrian military presence in Lebanon. The extension was opposed by 29 parliamentarians out of 128. After the accusation addressed to four of his aides on Wednesday, the Lebanese president said he will continue in his post until the end of the constitutional term.

For her part, the minister of social affairs in Lebanon, Naela Muaawad, said that after the accusation of the four men, Lahoud "has lost legitimacy from the political point of view, and that he is demanded to quit."

Worthy mentioning that these calls came one day after similar calls from Lahoud's opponents, opposers of the Syrian presence, and independent figures, including former Lebanese prime minister Salim al-Hoss.

However, the patriarch of the Maronite Church, Nasrullah Sfeir, which Lahoud belongs, and the leader of the Christian opposition Michael Aoun who refused earlier demands for his resignation, prefer the emergence of results of official investigations before supporting this demand.

The justice investigation judge Elias Eid on Saturday issued warrant of arrest against each of the chairman of the Republican gurads Maj. Gen. Mustafa Hamdan, former director general of the Lebanese security Lt. gen. Jamil al-Sayyed, former director general of the Lebanese Internal security forces Lt. Gen. Ali al-Haj and the director of former intelligence in the army Rimon Azar.

Previous Stories:
  Nasrullah against pressure on Hariri UN investigation committee   (9/3/2005)
  Lahoud's opponents assess his position as threatened   (9/3/2005)
  Four Lebanese security leaders formely accused in Hariri assassination   (9/2/2005)
  Mehlis ready to visit Damascus in investigation of Hariri assassination   (9/2/2005)

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