French President Jacques Chirac has been accused of meddling in Lebanese affairs and attempting to oust Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. An unnamed official from Lahoud's office also claimed that Chirac had joined forces with the anti-Syrian political movements in the effort.
The French leader, according to the sources, was supervising a Lebanese political group as part of the effort to replace Lahoud, said the AFP.
"Chirac is personally supervising an urgent plan to oust Lahoud," he said to An-Nahar.
The source also added that Chirac was personally implicated in "supervising a working group charged with coordinating ... (an action) ... to provoke a constitutional coup aiming at ousting President Lahoud before the end of his mandate on October 24, 2007."
Moreover, the source went on, was that Lahoud "regrets Chirac's positions, which take a side in the conflict, instead of treating all Lebanese with equality, as France always did in its history."
Lahoud, who is a pro-Syrian Maronite Christian, has been under pressure ever since security officials close to him were arrested in connection with the assassination of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
The Lebanese president's term, moreover, was extended by three-years from 2004 to 2007, drawing widespread criticism including a French boycott.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
