In a move that looks set to increase the political tension in Lebanon, leading opposition MP Walid Jumblatt insisted the country's political opposition would refuse to serve in "any national unity government" while President Emile Lahoud remains in power. The ratcheting up of pressure on Lahoud comes as calls for his resignation increase from those who are not considered opponents of the government, such as former President Elias Hrawi. Jumblatt called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to "to rid the Lebanese of Lahoud by obtaining his resignation."Jumblatt also commented on Syria's ongoing withdrawal from Lebanon, noting the distinction between U.N. Resolution 1559 and the Taif Accord. The MP expressed full support for the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanese territories as mentioned by the Taif Accord, but objected to the disarmament of Hizbullah stipulated in the U.S.-French brokered resolution. Jumblatt said: "U.S. President George W. Bush does not have the right to give us lessons on whether the resistance is a terrorist group or not. It is a national resistance and a national Lebanese liberation movement that achieved the noble goal of liberating South Lebanon from the Israeli enemy and Israeli terrorism." During an interview with the Hariri-family-owned television station Future TV, Jumblatt insisted that Lahoud's resignation was the only way to "put an end to the regime of intelligence agents that has been installed with Lahoud and to improve Syrian-Lebanese relations."