Region | Lebanon
Breakthrough Lebanese deal to be 'carried out immediately'
Rival Lebanese leaders reached a breakthrough deal on Wednesday, ending 18 months of political conflict that pushed the country to the brink of a new civil war.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:49 May 21, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- The deal allows parliament to elect army chief General Michel Suleiman as president.
Doha: A breakthrough deal between rival Lebanese leaders was announced by Arab mediators on Wednesday, bringing an end to 18 months of political conflict that pushed the country to the brink of a new civil war.
Qatari Prime Minister Shaikh Hamad bin Jasem Al Thani announced at a ceremony in Doha on Wednesday that the agreement will be "carried out immediately" and that the election of a new president of Lebanon will follow within 24 hours.
On the sixth day of Arab-mediated talks in Qatar, delegates from the US-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition said disputes over a parliamentary election law and a new cabinet had been settled.
The deal allows parliament to elect army chief General Michel Suleiman as president, filling a post vacant since November because of the political deadlock.
The official announcement was made at a ceremony attended by Lebanese leaders and Arab mediators.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also spoke at the ceremony, saying a Hezbollah-led opposition tent in central Beirut will be dismantled following the deal.
A ruling coalition delegate also confirmed the agreement, which will meet the opposition's long-standing demand for veto power in cabinet.
The deal will include a pledge by both sides not to use violence in political disputes, echoing a paragraph in an agreement drafted in Beirut that ended the fighting.
This announcement is a major triumph for Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition, as both of its key demands have been met.
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