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Lebanon delays vote... again
22/04/2008 15:45 - (SA)
Beirut - Lebanon's parliament speaker once again postponed a scheduled session to elect a state president, his office announced on Tuesday, amid continuing political deadlock.
Parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri did not set a date for the next session, but reiterated his invitation to rival pro-Western and pro-Syrian factions to hold talks under his auspices.
"If I do not get a positive response to the dialogue, I will set a date for another session," Berri said.
Before the announcement, Berri had held a closed door meeting with Walid Jumblatt, a leader in the ruling coalition.
The 18th attempt to elect a president was postponed despite the presence in parliament of lawmakers from the rival groupings.
Lebanon is mired in its worst political crisis since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war pitting the anti-Syrian ruling coalition against the Hezbollah-led opposition backed by Syria and Iran.
The country has been without a president since late November when the pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his mandate.
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