Lebanon to elect president on February 11
Lebanon, Politics, 1/22/2008

Lebanon's parliament speaker on Sunday postponed a session to elect a new president until February 11.

Speaker Nabih Berri announced the date shortly after he met Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa. Mousa was in Beirut to hold talks with rival Lebanese factions on an Arab plan calling for the election of army commander, General Michel Suleiman, as president.

The Arab plan also envisaged formation of a national unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law. The plan was unanimously adopted by Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on January 5.

Parliament had been scheduled to meet tomorrow to elect Suleiman. Lebanon has been without a president since President Emile Lahoud's term ended November 23.

Berri said the delay would give the two sides more time to work out their differences ahead of the presidential vote.

Mousa brought together Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun and legislator Saad Hariri, leader of the parliamentary majority, in the first such meeting in three months.

Though the parliamentary majority and the opposition have backed Suleiman, they remain deadlocked over an amendment to Lebanon's constitution that would allow the head of the military to become president.

They also have not been able to agree on whether the opposition should have veto power in major issues.

Mousa has held five days of crisis talks, including a visit to neighboring Syria, but has failed so far to solve the political crisis -- Lebanon's worst since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.

"The Arab initiative has not reached a dead end, but has probably reached a closed door that can still be re-opened," Mousa told reporters before leaving for Cairo.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak: Lebanon political situation dangerous   (1/15/2008)
  Germany lowers terror warning from Lebanon on al-Qaida   (1/15/2008)
  Lebanese parliament fails to agree on a new president   (12/11/2007)

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