Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud rejected Friday a call from Prime Minister Fuad Siniora to step down, saying there was nothing to warrant his resignation.
"The resignation of a president of the republic has a mechanism which is defined in the constitution and must be for certain reasons: high treason and violating the constitution," a statement from Lahoud's office said.
"There is nothing to justify Mr Lahoud tendering his resignation," it said. "Mr Lahoud will stay loyal to his oath and is determined to stay to the end of his mandate (in November 2007)."
On Thursday, Siniora said the president should quit as some of his aides were arrested in connection to the killing of former premier Rafic al Hariri.
