The parliamentary vote for the next Lebanese president might be postponed due to a political crisis. The parliament is due to begin the vote on Tuesday for a new president to replace the pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud.
The 60-day voting process begins on Tuesday and ends on November 24, when Lahoud’s term expires. The parliament is given two months to elect a president before the end of his term, according to the constitution.
But the vote might be postponed until October because feuding politicians have not agreed on a presidential candidate acceptable to the pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian rivals.
The ruling coalition supports Nasib Lahoud and the opposition backs Michel Aoun.
Neither is acceptable to both sides, and there is still no agreement on a compromise candidate.
A two-thirds quorum is required for the vote, but this will not be met without the opposition.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Beri is expected to call another session in October.
The crisis was further compounded by the assassination of Antoine Ghanem, an anti-Syrian MP, last Wednesday.
Ghanem’s murder will reduce the voting clout of the ruling coalition. The number of pro-government lawmakers was reduced to 68 out of the 128-member assembly. The opposition holds 59 seats.
Anti-Syrian politicians have said the assassination of Ghanem was an attempt to derail the presidential election.
An accusing finger has been pointed at Syria, which is believed to have orchestrated a series of assassinations in Lebanon over the past three years, causing considerable unrest in the country.
The most prominent politician to be killed in a similar assassination was former prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, who died in a car bomb attack in February 2005.
Syria strenuously denies allegations it was behind these murders.