BEIRUT, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Lebanon on Friday rejected the UN Security Council resolution demanding respect of the country's political independence and Syrian forces' withdrawal from it.
"This resolution is misplaced since it goes against the principles of non-interference in internal affairs," Foreign Minster Jean Obeid said in a statement.
The resolution was adopted by the UN Security Council onThursday with nine of the 15 council members voted for it and six abstained.
The vote was requested by the US and France in time for Friday's vote by the Lebanese parliament on a constitutional change, which would allow President Emile Lahoud to stay in power for an extra three years after his term expires on Nov. 24.
Washington said Lahoud is pro-Syrian and accused Syria of demanding the constitutional amendment for him.
Syria sent troops to help quell a year-old civil war in Lebanon in 1976 and they remained through 14 years of fighting and are still in the country.
Lebanon's government has repeatedly said that the presence of the Syrian army has been a stabilizing factor since the 1975-90civil war. Enditem | 
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