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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Lebanon's presidential election adjourned till October 23 |
| 2007-09-26 |
| Lebanon 's House Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned Tuesday's crucial parliamentary session to elect a new president till October 23. "The session has been adjourned till October 23 at 10:00 am," deputy Speaker Farid Makari announced. The announcement was made by a parliamentary official in the chamber after the bell rang three times to call the lawmakers into session. In a clear message to the opposition, MPs from the ruling majority said if there was no quorum and no vote on Tuesday, they would go ahead and elect a president with a simple majority when the next session convenes. "We are taking part in today's session to preserve our right to vote in a subsequent session with a simple majority," MP Elias Atallah told reporters before entering parliament. "Our presence means that the first session has been convened, and the next session (there will be a vote) with a simple majority," MP Samir Franjieh said. The majority attended but opposition members who had gathered in the building stayed in the hallways. The postponement had been expected after the opposition, led by Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hizbullah, vowed to boycott the session to block the ruling March 14 alliance from electing a president from its own ranks. |
| Posted by:Fred |