Lebanon to Hold General Elections after Israeli Withdrawal

Published May 5th, 2000 - 03:00 GMT

Lebanon will hold legislative elections after Israel pulls out of southern Lebanon, which it has vowed to do by July 7, Interior Minister Michel Murr said Thursday.

"The elections will be held over three or four rounds according to logistic capabilities, starting on the first Sunday, on August 20 and until September 15," Murr told reporters.

The elections, traditionally held over successive Sundays, will usher in a new 128-member parliament, half-Muslim and half-Christian, for a four-year term.

Israel has pledged to withdraw from southern Lebanon by July 7 with or without an agreement with Beirut and Damascus - (AFP)