Lebanon's state court rejected a motion contesting the call by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government for the August 5 by-elections. The ruling by magistrate Ghaleb Ghanem and five member judges was made public on Wednesday. This means the By- Elections will take place in Lebanon as planned.
Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa had asked the government to issue a decree calling for the election of successors to assassinated lawmakers Pierre Gemayel and Walid Eido. Both crimes have been blamed on Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. Damascus has denied the charges.
Gemayel, a Maronite, represented the Phalange Party in the 128-seat House. Eido, a Sunni, represented al-Moustaqbal Movement in Parliament. Both Gemayel and Eido were very outspoken against the Syrian regime and its continued efforts to destabilize the country. |