by Selim Yassine
BEIRUT, Sept 3 (AFP) - Lebanon's parliament was expected to bow to Syrian pressure Friday evening and reelect pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud, despite a UN Security Council resolution condemning outside interference in the country's politics.
A session of parliament was due to begin at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) to debate a highly controversial constitutional amendment proposed by the cabinet on Saturday, government officials told AFP.
Security forces had cordoned off an area one kilometre (half a mile) around the parliament building and were preventing anyone under the age of 30 from approaching the building.
In nearby Martyrs Square a handful of youths were distributing pamphlets announcing that they were in "mourning for democracy." It was signed by the "leftist democratic movement" at the American University of Beirut and Saint Joseph's University.
In contrast, huge portraits of Lahoud, some joined by that of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, could be seen throughout the capital.
If the amendment is approved, as expected, Lahoud's mandate will automatically be extended by three years. He is now set to leave office on November 24 after serving a six-year term in office.
The vote comes after both Beirut and Damascus strongly objected to interference by the world body in Lebanon's politics.
"Lebanon will not accept any plan which does not address the Israeli occupation of its land and is replaced by interference in its internal affairs," Foreign Minister Jean Obeid said in a statement.
"This resolution is misplaced since it goes against the principles of non-interference in internal affairs" of UN member states, he said.
Prior to the Security Council vote, Syrian UN ambassador Fayssal Mekdad warned the council not to "interfere in the internal affairs of Lebanon."
"Syria is not a foreign force in Lebanon, it is there at the request of the Lebanese government," he said. "This is a ridiculous discussion."
The resolution, proposed by the United States and France, was adopted by the Security Council Thursday. Nine members voted in favor and six abstained.
Language specifically referring to Syria was dropped from the final draft, but the resolution clearly targeted Lebanon's more powerful neighbor, which maintains some 16,000 troops in the country and dominates its political scene.
It said the Lebanese presidential election should be "free and fair ... according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence."
The council "reaffirms its call for the strict respect of Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence under the sole and exclusive authority of the government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon."
The resolution also calls "for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias," and "supports the extension of the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory."
Much of southern Lebanon, bordering on Israel, is controlled by the Shiite Muslim movement, Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran.
Israel, which is engaged in a low-level conflict with Hezbollah guerrillas along the border, welcomed the UN vote.
"By changing the constitution, Syria wants to impose a puppet in Lebanon," said an Israeli official, who asked not to be identified.
The official added that "Syria has occupied Lebanon for the past 30 years and wants to snuff out all legitimate national aspirations in the country."
The resolution calls on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to report within 30 days on its implementation.
Scores of political figures from across the country's confessional divide met to reject both Syrian and UN meddling in Lebanon's affairs on Thursday.
Deputy Nassib Lahoud, a leading opposition figure and the president's cousin, called on fellow MPs to reject the "violation of the constitution and the installation of a police state capable of destroying the very foundations of Lebanon, that is to say democracy and the rotation of power."
He said Syria's insistence on keeping Lebanon under its thumb had "provoked the intervention of the United Nations and put us in conflict with international law."