Political Battle Looms in Lebanon

Lebanese people carry the coffin of slain anti-syrian lawmaker Walid Eido who was killed by an explosion on Wednesday, as they head to a Mosque during his funeral procession in Beirut, Lebanon Thursday, June 14, 2007. A bomb-rigged car, rocked Beirut's seafront Wednesday, killing an anti-Syrian lawmaker Walid Eido and his 35-year-old son, two of his bodyguards and six others in a narrow street off the main waterfront in Manara. The blast, a new blow to the stability of this conflict-torn nation, comes days after the government began putting together an international tribunal ordered by the United Nations to try suspects in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut two years ago a move strongly opposed by Syria and its allies in Lebanon. The slain lawmaker, Walid Eido, was a prominent supporter of the tribunal and a close friend of Hariri. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) (Hussein Malla - AP)

There are already calls from the majority to go ahead with the by-election anyway irrespective of what the president and parliament speaker do.

Another political crisis is also looming over the presidency.

The legislature must vote on a replacement when Lahoud's term ends in November, but it is unlikely that Lebanon's divided leaders can agree on a candidate or even meet _ threatening a power vacuum, or even the creation of two rival governments.

Some majority lawmakers are already calling for Lahoud's impeachment if he impedes the by-elections, but that, too, requires a legislative session.

All sides _ including Syria's ally, the Shiite Hezbollah _ have condemned Eido's killing in a blast Wednesday that also killed his son and eight other people.

He was the seventh anti-Syrian figure slain in the past two years, including two other lawmakers. The assassinations began with the massive suicide truck bombing in Beirut that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others. Eido's slaying came just three days after an international tribunal ordered by the U.N. Security Council went into effect.

Government supporters blame Syria in all the assassinations. Syria, which opposes the international tribunal, denies any role. Hezbollah and its allies say the killings have been carried out by unknown parties aiming to enflame Lebanon's political crisis.

So far, Lebanon's leaders have kept a cap on reprisal violence.

But the political feuds that lie ahead could push either side to the breaking point. Government and opposition supporters battled in the streets for several days earlier this year in violence that killed 11 people and took on a dangerous sectarian tone in a country sharply divided between Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims.