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Berri postpones Lebanon presidential vote for fourth time
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key opposition figure, and parliament majority leader Saad al-Hariri have failed to agree on any of the names for president proposed by the head of the Maronite church. Hariri left for a trip to Moscow early on Tuesday "to enlist the help of the Russians in ending Syrian interference in Lebanon" according to reports coming from his residence in Qreitem The presidential election was postponed for a fourth time today amid last-ditch efforts for political rivals to strike a deal by a Friday deadline to replace the current head of state. "The vote on Wednesday has been postponed to Friday," a deputy with the ruling majority told reporters today. Elias Atallah, an MP with the ruling majority, accused Syria and Iran of trying to derail the vote as part of their face-off with the West. "They are putting a spoke in the wheels because they want to transform Lebanon into a battlefield in their fight with the West," Atallah said Politicians from both sides have predicted Wednesday's parliamentary vote will be postponed until Friday, the last day of President Emile Lahoud's term. Posted by: Fred 2007-11-21 |
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