Lebanon's Lahoud tells UN he must approve court

BEIRUT, Nov 14 (Reuters) Lebanon's pro-Syrian president sent a letter to the UN secretary-general today branding as illegitimate the government's approval of a UN framework for a court to try the suspected killers of Rafik al-Hariri.

Official sources said President Emile Lahoud told Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the approval given by the anti-Syrian government was illegitimate because he had not agreed to the draft statutes.

Lahoud also said the cabinet session which approved the draft was illegitimate. Six pro-Syrian opposition ministers, including all of the Shi'ite Muslims in government, did not attend the session.

Five ministers from Shi'ite groups Hezbollah and Amal had quit the cabinet on Saturday when talks over giving the opposition a greater say in government collapsed.

A sixth minister, loyal to Lahoud, resigned on Monday before the cabinet session.

Lahoud said the decision taken by yesterday's session did not bind the Lebanese state, although he added that he supports the idea of the tribunal, ''but with regulations''.

A UN commission investigating the assassination has implicated senior Lebanese and Syrian security officials in the killing of Hariri. Damascus denies involvement in the murder of the former prime minister.

REUTERS SY RAI2218