Beirut: Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri has postponed a parliament session to vote for a new president to January 12,his office announced today.
 
MPs had been due to convene tomorrow to elect a successor to pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud, who stepped down at the end of his term on November 23. However, a statement from the speaker's office said Berri "has decided to postpone the session to elect a president until January 12".

Berri's announcement late today marks the 11th time the vote has been postponed amid sharp divisions between the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and the opposition, backed by Syria and Iran.

Both sides have agreed in principle to elect army chief Michel Sleiman as a compromise president, but they remain at odds on how to amend the constitution to allow a senior public servant to assume the post. But the statement issued by the office of Berri, a pillar of the opposition, insisted there was no need to amend the constitution to elect Sleiman, citing Article 74 of the Lebanese constitution.

According to the statement, this stipulates that "in case of a presidential vacancy... Parliament meets immediately to elect a new president, which excludes the (need for) amendment". Yesterday 13 MPs from the ruling majority submitted a petition seeking a "one-off" constitutional amendment to enable the election of Sleiman.

Three days earlier the government had proposed a draft law on the amendment but Berri has said he would not accept legislation from an administration he considers illegitimate.

Source : PTI