Lebanon: Backing for Army Chief for President
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/world/middleeast/29briefs-general.html
November 29, 2007
World Briefing | Middle East
Lebanon: Backing for Army Chief for President
By THANASSIS CAMBANIS [Lebanon] [as so often the case, Lebanon on the brink of political crisis] [current president’s term expires this week] [PMs holed up in hotel to preclude assassination attempts] [Christian, versus Sunnis, versus Druse, versus Shiia and Hezbollah, versus Syria’s agents] [*************]
The main faction in Parliament agreed to amend the Constitution to allow the head of the military, Gen. Michel Suleiman, to assume the vacant presidency. [****] The announcement by the Future Movement, which is the largest bloc in Parliament and is led by Saad Hariri, [*****] was seen as a breakthrough after weeks of parliamentary stalemate that has left the country without a president since Friday, when the term of Émile Lahoud ended. General Suleiman has stayed neutral in the bitter power fight between anti- and pro-Syrian politicians and is said to have the respect of both sides. The Constitution bars the sitting head of the armed forces from moving directly to the presidency. [*******]
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/world/middleeast/29briefs-general.html
November 29, 2007
World Briefing | Middle East
Lebanon: Backing for Army Chief for President
By THANASSIS CAMBANIS [Lebanon] [as so often the case, Lebanon on the brink of political crisis] [current president’s term expires this week] [PMs holed up in hotel to preclude assassination attempts] [Christian, versus Sunnis, versus Druse, versus Shiia and Hezbollah, versus Syria’s agents] [*************]
The main faction in Parliament agreed to amend the Constitution to allow the head of the military, Gen. Michel Suleiman, to assume the vacant presidency. [****] The announcement by the Future Movement, which is the largest bloc in Parliament and is led by Saad Hariri, [*****] was seen as a breakthrough after weeks of parliamentary stalemate that has left the country without a president since Friday, when the term of Émile Lahoud ended. General Suleiman has stayed neutral in the bitter power fight between anti- and pro-Syrian politicians and is said to have the respect of both sides. The Constitution bars the sitting head of the armed forces from moving directly to the presidency. [*******]
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company