Miqati denies any Syrian influence in Lebanon

The Lebanese prime minister Najib Miqati had denied by Syrian influence in his country since the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon in April. He stressed that the next Lebanese parliamentary elections, the first elections to be carried out in the country in the absence of the Syrian forces since 33 years, will be fair and free from the Syrian influence.

Miqati said that the "daily Syrian influence and its impact on the Lebanese state circles or political matters ended, but no body can end the effect linked to geography." He added that Damascus has taken its decision to get out of Lebanon and it is too far from affecting the elections, noting that Lebanon had extended invitations to the European Union and the UN to monitor the elections.

In another development, Miqati said that the chief of the UN team in charge of investigating the assassination of al-Hariri will be arriving in Beirut by the beginning of next week to start its mission. The team which is expected to include 50 members is led by the renowned German investigator Delive Meles.