By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese Parliament Speaker NabihBerri on Tuesday postponed a parliamentary session to elect a president, without setting the exact date of the next session, local LBC TV reported.
It is the 18th postponement since Sept. 25, 2007. “I will wait the results of the calls for national dialogue to set another date,” Berri said in a statement at parliament headquarters in Downtown Beirut.
“A solution does not come from the east or from the west; no one can impose on us a solution that would harm internal formula, “Berri said, adding that “only an internal dialogue” can help reach a solution.
Commenting on the accusation from the majority bloc saying that he blocked the parliament sessions, Berri said: “Parliament is closed against the illegitimate government, but is opened for electing a president.”
He repeated his call for “declaration of intentions” regarding agreement on government shares and election law, and said then they will “dismantle the tents downtown and elect Gen. Michel Suleiman as president.”
Lebanon is facing the most complicated political crisis since1975-1990 civil war, with political rival groups unable to achieve a breakthrough to elect a new president for the country, which has been without a president since Nov. 24, 2007, when ex-President Lahoud ended his term.
Lebanese leaders agreed on taking Suleiman as a consensus candidate, but could not agree on the shape of the new governmentor the new election law.
The presidency deadlock deepened the Lebanese political crisis as fears are mounting that failure in reaching a deal on the presidential candidate could result in more violence in the country.