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Lebanon 'needs interim president' Lebanon president deadline looms
(about 7 hours later)
The Lebanese opposition leader and presidential hopeful, Michel Aoun, has said an interim president should be chosen to end the political deadlock. Lebanese MPs are facing a deadline of midnight to appoint a new president.
Mr Aoun suggested his opposition choose a neutral candidate to serve a reduced two-year term and that the ruling majority select a new prime minister. However, mediators fear rival camps will fail to reach a deal, plunging the country into a deeper political crisis.
The Christian leader's offer came as a deadline to elect a president neared. Attempts to elect a new president over the past two months have been hampered by rivalry between Western-backed and pro-Syrian factions.
A vote in parliament has been scheduled for 1300 (1100 GMT) on Friday, 11 hours before the end of Emile Lahoud's term. "A miracle is still possible tomorrow but I think it'll be a bit complicated," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Attempts to elect his successor over the past two months have been hampered by rivalry between Western-backed and pro-Syrian factions, both of whom blame each other for the impasse. A vote in parliament has been scheduled for 1300 (1100 GMT) on Friday, 11 hours before the end of current pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud's term.
The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut says the failure to find a compromise has raised fears of turmoil, including the possibility that the opposition could create a rival administration as happened during the civil war. No compromise
Last-minute initiative The election of a president requires a two-thirds majority, which means that the anti-Syrian ruling bloc - with its slim majority - cannot force its preferred candidate through parliament. A deal with the opposition is therefore required.
The rival factions cannot agree on a compromise candidate, however.
According to Article 62 of the Lebanese constitution, if no candidate is elected before Mr Lahoud's mandate expires, his powers are automatically transferred to the anti-Syrian government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
However, President Lahoud has vowed not to hand over power to Mr Siniora, and said he would name army chief General Michel Suleiman as his provisional successor instead.
Tomorrow, I don't believe there will be an election and this will create difficult conditions, but this is not the end of the world Massimo D'AlemaItalian Foreign Minister
Mr Lahoud has also said any election would require a quorum of two-thirds of the number of deputies.
The opposition has warned it may boycott Friday's session, thus ensuring that the vote will not be quorate and any vote will be invalid.
The political deadlock has already led to the vote being postponed four times since 25 September.The political deadlock has already led to the vote being postponed four times since 25 September.
Under Mr Aoun's proposal, an interim president would remain in office until parliamentary elections were held in 2009, at which point the new president would take over for a full six-year term. The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut says the failure to find a compromise has raised fears of civil strife, including the possibility that the opposition could create a rival administration as happened during the civil war.
We are offering this initiative in order to find a solution Michel Aoun
Mr Aoun, leader of the Reform and Change bloc, said it would be the task of the parliamentary majority leader, Saad Hariri, to name a new prime minister from outside his Future Movement party.
That prime minister would then form a national "reconciliation government".
"We are offering this initiative in order to find a solution," Mr Aoun told a news conference in Beirut.
Mr Aoun said that his offer would remain on the table until 2300 (2100 GMT) on Friday, just one hour before Mr Lahoud's term in office is due to expire.
LEADING CANDIDATES Nassib Lahoud: Government candidate. Former US ambassador. Leading industrialistMichel Aoun: Opposition candidate. Former army commander who fought Syria during civil war. Returned from exile in 2005. Vocal opponent of governmentMichel Suleiman: Army commander since 1998. Electing him requires constitutional amendmentRiad Salameh: Central bank governor since 1993. Widely respected at home and abroad. Election requires constitutional amendmentBoutrous Harb: Pro-government candidate. MP and former ministerJean Obeid: Possible consensus candidate. Foreign minister 2003-2004
The last-minute proposal was made after Lebanese politicians again failed to agree on a candidate.
The Chamber of Deputies will convene at lunchtime on Friday to attempt to choose a president.
The election requires a two-thirds majority, but Mr Hariri's ruling bloc only has a slim majority, so a deal with the opposition is theoretically required.
According to Article 62 of the Lebanese constitution, if no candidate is elected before Mr Lahoud's mandate expires, his powers are automatically transferred to the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
However, the pro-Syrian president has vowed not to hand over power to Mr Siniora, and said he would name army chief General Michel Suleiman as his provisional successor instead.
Mr Lahoud has also said any election would require a quorum of two-thirds of the number of deputies. The opposition has warned it may boycott Friday's session.
International effortsInternational efforts
Our correspondent says the issue is turning into a regional and international affair.Our correspondent says the issue is turning into a regional and international affair.
The US, Russia, Syria and Iran are all intensely involved and there has been a lot of diplomatic shuttling between Damascus, Moscow, Tehran and Paris.The US, Russia, Syria and Iran are all intensely involved and there has been a lot of diplomatic shuttling between Damascus, Moscow, Tehran and Paris.
The future Lebanese president has to be a Maronite, like Emile Lahoud LEADING CANDIDATES Nassib Lahoud: Government candidate. Former US ambassador. Leading industrialistMichel Aoun: Opposition candidate. Former army commander who fought Syria during civil war. Returned from exile in 2005. Vocal opponent of governmentMichel Suleiman: Army commander since 1998. Electing him requires constitutional amendmentRiad Salameh: Central bank governor since 1993. Widely respected at home and abroad. Election requires constitutional amendmentBoutrous Harb: Pro-government candidate. MP and former ministerJean Obeid: Possible consensus candidate. Foreign minister 2003-2004
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned several of the country's top leaders on Monday.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned several of the country's top leaders on Monday.
The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, arrived in Beirut on Sunday and is expected to stay until Saturday. Foreign Ministers from France, Spain and Italy have spent several days in Lebanon, meeting with rival groups in an attempt to break the deadlock.
He has warned that whoever blocks the selection process bears responsibility for destabilising Lebanon and the region. "It is up to us to make this appeal for this dialogue to continue and to look for consensus, and we are available for all Lebanese political groups and forces to help in these efforts," said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.
His Italian counterpart, Massimo D'Alema, was pessimistic about the prospects for a resolution of the crisis before the midnight deadline:
"Tomorrow, I don't believe there will be an election and this will create difficult conditions, but this is not the end of the world," he said.
Last-minute initiative
Fears are growing that failure to elect a president will bring more turmoil to Lebanon.Fears are growing that failure to elect a president will bring more turmoil to Lebanon.
The army has increased its presence on the streets of Beirut and set up checkpoints, some schools have cancelled classes until Monday, and the ministry of interior has suspended all firearm permits until further notice.The army has increased its presence on the streets of Beirut and set up checkpoints, some schools have cancelled classes until Monday, and the ministry of interior has suspended all firearm permits until further notice.
In an effort to broker a poltical compromise, Michel Aoun, the leader of a Christian opposition party, proposed a deal, whereby an interim president - chosen by him, but not a member of his parliamentary bloc - would serve until parliamentary elections were held in 2009, at which point a new president would take over for a full six-year term.
As part of the plan, the ruling majority would get to select a prime minister, but again, only on condition that the chosen person came from outside the ruling parliamentary bloc.
The ruling majority dismissed Mr Aoun's plan, however, saying that it was unconstitutional.