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Top-level talks on Lebanon crisis Lebanon postpones vote yet again
(about 4 hours later)
Lebanon's army chief and potential president, Gen Michel Suleiman, has met the head of the Maronite church amid efforts to end the political crisis. Lebanese members of parliament have postponed for an eighth time their vote to elect a new president, with 17 December called as the new date.
The government and opposition have agreed in principle that General Suleiman should stand for the country's vacant presidency. The pro-West ruling bloc and pro-Syrian opposition have agreed on army chief Gen Michel Suleiman, but are divided on the make-up of the new government.
But they have yet to finalise how to amend the constitution to make it possible for him to do so. There is also said to be a dispute over how to amend the constitution to allow a senior civil servant to be elected.
Lebanon's parliament is due to convene to elect the president on Tuesday. The deadlock meant Emile Lahoud stepped down last month without a successor.
Some reports say the session, delayed seven times since September, is likely to be postponed again. Under Article 49 of the current constitution, senior civil servants like Gen Suleiman are barred from becoming president within two years of stepping down.
"Despite progress achieved, it is almost certain that Tuesday's session will not be held," a senior source, quoted by Reuters news agency, said.
DeadlockDeadlock
Under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, the country's president must be from the Maronite Christian minority, while other communities hold other positions. Under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, the country's president must be from the Maronite Christian minority, while the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim and the president of parliament a Shia.
Gen Suleiman, who is a Maronite, left his meeting with Maronite patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir without making any comment. The Lebanese parliament has been delaying the vote since September
During the deadlock - Lebanon's worst political crisis since the country's long civil war ended in 1990 - the economy and parliament have been crippled and the opposition has refused to recognise the government. Gen Suleiman, who is a Maronite, left a meeting with the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, on Monday without making any comment.
Under Article 49 of the current constitution, senior civil servants are barred from becoming president within two years of stepping down. The deadlock over the president is Lebanon's worst political crisis since the country's long civil war ended in 1990.
Correspondents say Gen Suleiman has remained neutral amid feuding between the Western-backed government and pro-Syrian opposition, and has repeatedly called for the army to be kept out of politics. The economy and parliament have been crippled, and the opposition have refused to recognise the government.
Correspondents say Gen Suleiman has remained neutral amid feuding between the government and opposition, and has repeatedly called for the army to be kept out of politics.
The governing coalition needs a two-thirds majority to elect the president, or 86 of the 128 MPs, but holds only 68 seats.