Lebanon's Syrian-backed president has indicated he will not approve an international tribunal to try suspects over the murder of Rafik Hariri. The cabinet has sent plans for the panel to Emil Lahoud for agreement, but in a BBC interview he reiterated his view that the government was illegal. It lacks sectarian balance following the recent resignation of a number of Shia Muslim ministers, he said. The president called for a new government of national unity. "In our constitution there is no legality to any institution if it doesn't represent all the religious communities," Lahoud told the BBC.
Critics say Lahoud and other pro-Syrian politicians are trying to prevent the Hariri tribunal from going ahead because it might embarrass them and their Syrian backers - accusations they deny.