Lebanese judiciary freezes warrant of arrest against Aoun, elections using 2000 law

The Lebanese President Emil Lahoud gave his instructions to carry out the parliamentary elections on the ground of the law of 2000 which mingles between the greater circles ( the governorate) and the smaller ( the district), rejected by the opposition, especially the Christian one.

Lahoud signed a decree on Thursday to carry out the elections in four phases the first of which is to start on May 29 and the last ends of June 19 so as to decide on a long debate between the government's opposition and supporters over the election law.

This coincided with a time when the Lebanese judiciary froze the implementation of a warrant of arrest against the former leader of the Lebanese army Michael Oun who had decided to return back to Lebanon on Saturday.

A Lebanese judicial source said that the criminal court decided to stop the implementation the warrant of arrest which was issued in absentia in October 2003 and to postpone the trial session until July, 5, 2005.

This, practically means that Aoun will be able to return without being detained upon his arrival at the airport, but he will be obliged to face trial later if accusations will not be dropped of him.

The warrant of arrest was issued after Aoun gave his testimony in September 2003 before the American Congress resulted in the issuance of a law of sanctions against Syria.