See pictures of the Lebanese reaction to Pierre Gemayel assassination

The Lebanese Prime Minister asked the UN yesterday to help to find the killer of Pierre Gemayel, as the Christian minority prepared to bury the latest prominent anti-Syrian figure to be assassinated in the country.

Fouad Siniora, the embattled Western-backed leader, made the request as his Government fought off collapse and the country’s 20-month political troubles moved towards a possible climax. His call came a day after the UN Security Council endorsed the creation of an international court to try political assassins in Lebanon.

The court will also handle 14 related assassinations and terrorist attacks aimed at prominent critics of Syrian influence in Lebanon, and could extend its jurisdiction to Mr Gemayel’s murder as well.

Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, told the Security Council that Mr Siniora had “requested technical assistance for the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to investigate the murder of Mr Gemayel” and asked for UN investigators to “be in touch with the relevant Lebanese authorities”. Diplomats said, however, that Russia might try to block a UN role.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, used Mr Gemayel’s assassination to issue an impassioned plea to Arab states to send peacekeepers to the UN force in south Lebanon. “The Middle East is simmering. There are calls to do something about it but are you going to just sit on the sidelines like a spectator? Are you going to just give out advice?” In Beirut, the Government cancelled Independence Day celebrations and streets in the city were deserted as anxious Lebanese observed three days of mourning for Mr Gemayel.

Soldiers patrolled Christian areas of the city as angry supporters of the Gemayel family heeded calls for calm and prepared to congregate for a huge rally today outside the St George cathedral, in the city centre, where Mr Gemayel’s funeral is to be held.

Thousands of mourners flocked to the Gemayel family home in Bikfaiya, a mountain town northeast of Beirut. Mr Gemayel’s coffin, draped in the flag of the Phalange party, the political movement founded by his grandfather, was carried into the house where his father, Amine, the former President, received condolences.

Mr Gemayel was 34. His death has left the Lebanese Government close to collapse just as it is expected to conclude an agreement with the UN to set up the so-called Special Tribunal, made up of international and Lebanese judges.

Six pro-Syrian ministers resigned from the 24-seat Lebanese Cabinet last week, shortly before the Government was due to approve draft statutes for the tribunal submitted by the UN. With Hezbollah, the militant Shia group, threatening mass protests to topple the Government, a depleted Cabinet approved the draft anyway.Syria, which has been implicated by the UN investigation in the killing of Rafik Hariri, the former Prime Minister, reiterated yesterday that it would not submit its citizens to the international tribunal.

“If there were any Syrian who is involved in this crime, then he is a murderer and will be punished because criminals are penalised by the just Syrian judiciary,” Faisal Mekdad, the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, said in al-Hayat newspaper.

Marwan Hamade, the Lebanese Telecoms Minister, said that the killing of Mr Gemayel was a desperate attempt by a nervous Damascus to derail the creation of the tribunal.

If another two ministers resign or are killed, the Government cannot achieve quorum and under the constitution must fall. It would approve the tribunal “in a matter of hours or days”, Mr Hamade said.

Times Recommends

• Zardari still has to tackle tough questions
• Material evidence 'debunks' Turin Shroud
• BBC criticised over Uganda gay execution poll