West looks for Wednesday vote on Lebanon court

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Western powers plan a U.N. Security Council vote on Wednesday to set up a court to prosecute the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, overriding Russia's objections.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the current council president, said on Tuesday the Western sponsors of the resolution establishing the tribunal, a highly divisive issue in Lebanon, had decided "to go for a vote tomorrow."

The resolution responds to a Lebanese government request, but the country's parliament has not approved the plan because speaker Nabih Berri, an opposition leader who disputes the government's legitimacy, has refused to convene the chamber.

Central to the dispute are Lebanon's ties with its larger neighbor Syria. Pro-government Lebanese leaders accuse Syria of killing Hariri and 22 other people with a bomb in 2005.

Damascus denies involvement but has indicated it will not cooperate with the court. Khalilzad warned Syria on Tuesday it would face "increased pressure" if it did not do so.

Despite warnings by pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and others that setting up the court could trigger a fresh wave of violence there, Western leaders say it is essential as a matter of principle to try Hariri's murderers.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin repeated on Tuesday Moscow's view that by invoking Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter to enforce the court's establishment, the resolution was usurping the Lebanese assembly's right to ratify the move.

"We do not believe that we should use Chapter 7 in situations where we do not absolutely have to do that, and we believe this is not that kind of a case," Churkin told reporters. Russia has long-standing close ties with Syria.

INCREASED PRESSURE

South Africa, also a council member, shares Russia's reservations. "Overriding a sovereign body in a country, the parliament, is always a problem," Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo told journalists.

But Churkin stopped short of a threat to veto the resolution and sponsors the United States, Britain and France doubt he will do so. "There are still some differences of view but I believe there are sufficient votes," Khalilzad said.

To pass, a resolution needs the votes of nine of the council's 15 members and no veto by the United States, Russia, Britain, France or China.

Western envoys amended the resolution last week to allow until June 10 before it goes into effect in what they said was probably a forlorn hope that Lebanese factions would bury their differences over it.

They made further revisions to the text late on Tuesday but without major changes. Western diplomats have ruled out dropping the Chapter 7 reference or other key provisions.

Key details of the tribunal, including where it would be based, remain to be decided and diplomats expect a year's delay before it starts working.