INDEPENDENT NEWS

Security Council Welcomes Lebanese Elections

Published: Thu 23 Jun 2005 02:18 PM
Security Council Welcomes Lebanese Elections
New York, Jun 22 2005 3:00PM
In strong support of Lebanon's political independence, the United Nations Security Council today underscored the need for newly elected Lebanese authorities to exercise their full sovereignty over the entire territory, to preserve unity through national dialogue, and to respect the principles of good governance.
In a statement read out in a formal meeting by its President for the month of June, Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sablière of France, The Security Council welcomed the Lebanese parliamentary elections held between 29 May and 19 June and commended the "fair and credible" nature of the vote.
The Council also congratulated the newly elected members of the Lebanese Parliament and paid tribute to the Lebanese people, "who demonstrated, throughout the process, their strong commitment to democracy, freedom and independence."
Council members looked forward to the establishment of a new government in the near future and stressed that its establishment in accordance with eth constitutional rules and without any foreign interference would be another sign of Lebanon's political independence and sovereignty.
Ambassador de La Sablière said the Council reaffirmed that the Lebanese people must be allowed to decide the future of their country free of violence and intimidation. "It strongly condemns, in this context, the recent terrorist acts in Lebanon, in particular the heinous assassination of the former leader of the Communist Party, George Hawi, and calls for their perpetrators to be brought to justice," he said.
"The Security Council calls upon the international community to stand ready to examine possible request from the newly elected Lebanese authorities for enhanced assistance and cooperation, in support of a credible governmental program of political and economic reform," said Ambassador de La Sablière.
The Council reiterated its call for the full implementation of the requirements of its resolution 1559 (2004), which calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, disbanding all militias and extending Government control over the whole country, carried out a series of shuttle missions culminating in a Syrian troop withdrawal in April.
The Council also called for the full implementation of its resolution 1595 (2005), which set up a commission in April to investigate the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri after an initial UN fact-finding mission found Lebanon's own probe seriously flawed and declared Syria, with its troop presence, primarily responsible for the political tension preceding the assassination. The UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) became fully operational on 16 June.
ENDS

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