Lebanon Presidential Vote Postponed till Decembber 11

Source: Al-Manar TV, 7-12-2007
A parliamentary session to elect a new president in Lebanon was postponed Friday for a seventh time, with a new date set for Tuesday, a spokesman for parliament speaker Nabih Berri said. "The parliament speaker has decided to postpone today's session to Tuesday, December 11 at 12 noon (1000 GMT)," said Mohammed Ballout, without giving further details.
The ruling bloc and the Lebanese national opposition have agreed on army Chief Gen. Michel Suleiman, but are divided on the make-up of a new government. There is also said to be a dispute over how to amend the constitution to allow a senior civil servant to be elected.
Gen. Suleiman has remained neutral during the year-long political crisis and has repeatedly called on the army to keep out of politics.
Constitutional amendment
Under Article 49 of the current constitution, senior civil servants are barred from becoming president within two years of stepping down.
The constitution has been amended twice since 1998, first to allow former president Emile Lahoud to become president and again in 2004 to extend his term by three years.
Any further amendment to the constitution would have to be approved by a two-thirds majority in the 128-seat parliament, something also required for the election of a new president. A quorum of two-thirds is also necessary for either vote.