September 26, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 13, 1428

BEIRUT, Sept 25: Lebanon’s parliament on Tuesday adjourned for four weeks a crucial session to elect a new president for lack of a quorum and to allow more time for MPs to reach agreement on a consensus candidate.

“Today’s session has been adjourned to Oct 23 at 10am (0800 GMT) for lack of a quorum,” parliament speaker Nabih Berri said in a statement shortly after lawmakers were to convene for the first time in nearly a year.

A two-thirds majority of the 127-strong parliament is required for a candidate to be elected by parliament in the first round of voting to replace the current pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, whose terms ends in November.

In the event of a second round a simple majority suffices.

Most of the 58 MPs from the Hezbollah-led opposition boycotted Tuesday’s session on the grounds that the feuding political parties had failed to agree on a consensus candidate to replace Lahoud.

“We hope to reach an agreement in the next few days and weeks so we can have a quorum,” said Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan. “The ball is now in the court of the ruling majority.” MP Samir Frangieh, a member of the Western-backed ruling coalition which has 68 votes in the legislature, made clear that his camp planned to go ahead with a vote when lawmakers reconvene in October even if no agreement is struck.

“We are giving negotiations a chance until the next session on Oct 23, but this is the last chance as during that session we will go ahead with a simple majority vote if there is no agreement,” he said.

However presidential candidate Michel Aoun, who heads the opposition Free Patriotic Movement, warned against any attempt by the majority to force through a vote.

“Our message is clear: the election by a simple majority would be a declaration of war,” he said.

“The issue of the legal quorum is not open to discussion, and countries that back such a president (elected by a simple majority) will have to dispatch troops to protect him.” Although Berri had summoned rival factions to convene on Tuesday, it was clear beforehand that an actual vote would not take place because of the deadlock.—AFP