Two Lebanese parliamentarians demand Lahoud resignation

Two members in the Lebanese parliament demanded the Lebanese president Emil Lahoud resign after the UN reports on the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri dropped doubts on his involvement in the assassination.

Parliament Jubran Tweini told the Lebanese LBC TV that since there is a role for the Syrian security officials, this means that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered the killing of Hariri.

Tweini said "it is strange for a person who knows by the ultimate end that he had conspired or hid such an action.. to remain a president." He added "Should I be in the place of President Lahoud tonight, I would have resigned."

Tweini said that "the UN Security Council has to conclude who is in charge in Syria, is it President Bashar al-Assad? and if he rules Syria, then he was the one who gave orders to the chairman of the Syrian intelligence department in Lebanon, Rostom Ghazalleh, and to the Syrian security departments to kill al-Hariri."

For his part, the Lebanese parliamentarian Elias Atallah said that Lahoud should be tried together with the other suspects "before a private international court."

He added in a statement for the LBC TV that it is illogical and inappropriate that Lahoud's presidency will continue. He said "the Republic is more important than the President."