By Xinhua
Cairo : Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa on Wednesday condemned the blast in eastern Beirut earlier in the day which killed a Christian lawmaker and several others.
“This crime aimed at fuelling sedition in Lebanon and aborting efforts to promote dialogue and stability in the country,” the AL chief said in a statement.
Expressing condolences to the Lebanese people and government, Moussa called on the Lebanese to maintain their unity. He also urged the Arab countries to stand by Lebanon to enhance its sovereignty and security.
Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese Christian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem was killed along with four others during an explosion in the Sin el-Fil district, a Christian suburb.
The explosion took place just a week before a parliament meeting due on Sept. 25, during which a new head of state will be elected to replace the incumbent President Emile Lahoud.
Lebanon has been rocked by a series of assassinations in recent years. In June, a similar blast in Beirut killed lawmaker Walid Eido and nine others.