Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday condemned Syrian judicial moves against two of its members, saying that the summonses against Walid Jumblatt and a Cabinet minister violated the Lebanese constitution.In a highly unusual step, a Syrian military court issued an arrest warrant for Jumblatt last week and summoned for questioning Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh for making statements hostile to Syria. The two legislators have played a leading role in the campaign to eliminate Syrian influence in Lebanon. In an equally rare move, the 128-member Lebanese legislature rebuked Syria on Tuesday, saying that its summonses "violated the Lebanese constitution and offended the dignity of parliament and the Lebanese people."
The parliamentary motion, read out by speaker Nabih Berri, said the military court's actions against Jumblatt and Hamadeh were "rejected both in form and content." Legislators voted in favour by a show of hands. The parliament has an anti-Syrian majority, but the 'yes' vote was strengthened by the faction of Gen. Michel Aoun, a Christian leader who has left the anti-Syrian alliance. Lawmakers from two pro-Syrian, Shiite Muslim parties, Hizbollah and Amal, abstained.