BEIRUT - Lebanese opposition politicians had just a single night to savour their victory in the first polls free of Syrian influence before a bomb blast turned their joy to grief.
Main opposition bloc leader Saad Hariri called a halt to celebrations after ally and former Communist Party leader George Hawi was killed and two other people wounded in the Tuesday morning attack.
Hariri, who lost his own father to a bomber, "called on all supporters all over the Lebanese territories ... to cancel all kinds of celebrations ... in solidarity with the family and friends of martyr George Hawi and as a condemnation of this terrorist murder," a statement said.
Within minutes of the explosion in a working-class district close to the centre of Beirut, opposition MPs had rushed to the scene to join the mournful crowds.
"I accuse everybody who is against the stability of Lebanon and the establishment of a democratic system and peaceful cohabitation," newly elected deputy Ammar al-Houri told AFP.
He said the bombing bore the same hallmarks as another blast less than three weeks ago that killed anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir.
Fellow opposition MP Ghazi Aridi asked why it was always anti-Syrian politicians who were targeted.
"George Hawi is a big loss for Lebanon and killing him is like killing Lebanon," said Aridi, a key aide of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, number two in the opposition alliance.
"Why do all the killings target the opposition?" he asked.
The attack came after a three-week respite in a spate of bombings that has hit Beirut, most notably the February 14 assassination of Rafiq Hariri, a billionaire five-time prime minister.
European Union observers had only the previous day hailed the "generally peaceful manner" in which the elections had been conducted.
Tearful leftist comrades of Hawi poured on to the streets, shocked that a man who had survived the bitter fighting of the 1975-90 civil war could be felled by a bomber just as Lebanon seemed poised for a return to freedom and normality.
"I was his friend, his comrade in arms, I fought the Israelis alongside him," said Riad Issa, tears pouring down his cheeks, referring to Hawi's long years leading the communists' militia.
"We warned him so many times; we could feel the threat hanging over him," he said, adding that the last time he had seen him had been at Kassir's funeral.
Although from a Christian background, during the civil war the devout leftist fought alongside Druze and Muslims against Christian militamen, often backed by Israel.
But in recent months, Hawi had joined with Hariri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in reconciling with former archfoes, including the Christian Lebanese Forces militia which he had long fought.
Another leftist -- Walid Fakhreddin of the Democratic Left -- said Hawi had been determined to fight for a better future for his country, despite the peronal risks.
"I saw George just last week and he said: 'They'll kill us all if we stand back and do nothing."
06/21/2005 15:35 GMT