Lebanon’s Parliament Puts Off Presidential Election Until October 23

Lebanon‘s parliament has postponed a session to elect a new president until October 23. A parliamentary official made the announcement in the chamber, after pro-Syrian opposition members boycotted Tuesday’s session, preventing the legislature from mustering a two-thirds quorum required for a vote.
Opposition group Hezbollah and its allies have vowed to block the ruling anti-Syrian coalition to elect a president from their own ranks. The ruling coalition holds a narrow majority in parliament.
Parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri had called Tuesday’s session to pick a successor to his Syrian-backed ally, President Emile Lahoud, whose term ends in November 24. Lebanon’s president is chosen by parliament, rather than the public.
Several anti-Syrian Christian candidates are running for the Lebanese presidency against Christian leader Michel Aoun, who is backed by the pro-Syrian opposition. Only Maronite Christians can vie for the post under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system.
VOA News