Beirut (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Lebanon's presidential election was delayed yesterday, for the 12th time. In spite of international efforts to convince the parties to reach an agreement, parliament put off the voting from today to next January 21.
According to Ali Hamdan, spokesman for parliament speaker Nabih Berri, the delay was decided "immediately after the meeting with the leaders of the Arab League", who for days have been holding private talks with Lebanese leaders in the hope that an agreement might be reached for the resolution of the crisis.
Since these negotiations are still ongoing, Hamdan explains, "the speaker decided to postpone the vote". Neither of Lebanon's political forces - the majority, aligned with the West, and the opposition, led by Hezbollah - expects any sudden breakthrough.
Lebanon has not had a president in office since last November 23, when the pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud resigned without a successor. The Arab initiative is based upon three points: the election of General Michel Sleiman as president, the formation of a national unity government without veto power, and the adoption of a new electoral law.
The majority fully supports the proposal, but Hezbollah - a militant Shiite group backed by Syria and Iran - is demanding that the opposition be guaranteed a third of the seats in the future government, so that it can block any unwelcome initiative.