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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| March 14 place Lebanon's destiny in Lahoud's hands |
| 2007-11-23 |
| Lebanon again postponed an election to choose a new head of state by a midnight Friday deadline amid continuing deadlock between rival political factions and fears of a dangerous power vacuum. The country's pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud plans to step down when his term expires at midnight, but is studying measures to ensure the country's security before he leaves, his spokesman said. With tanks and troops on the streets of Beirut, lawmakers from the Western-backed majority and the Hezbollah-led opposition had been scheduled to convene at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) in a last-ditch bid to pick a successor to Lahoud. But the session was postponed, for a fifth time in two months. "The session has been postponed until next Friday, November 30, to allow for more discussions and in order to reach an agreement," parliament speaker Nabih Berri said in a statement. "We are for consensus and we will remain for consensus," majority leader Saad Hariri said. "We want to elect a president for six years." The move threatens to plunge Lebanon -- suffering its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war -- into further chaos. According to Article 62 of the constitution, if no candidate is agreed by parliament to replace Lahoud, presidential powers pass to the government. But Lahoud -- who has been head of state since 1998 -- has vowed not to hand executive power to the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, which he does not recognize. "The postponement pushed him to study measures that he has to adopt in order to protect the security and stability of the country and in order to protect the unity of Lebanon, its land, people and institutions," Lahoud's spokesman Rafiq Shalala said, without elaborating. "He will take his decision this evening before leaving the Baabda presidential palace at midnight." |
| Posted by:Fred |