The Lebanese presidential saga continues. A parliament session to elect a new president, scheduled for today, has been postponed for a record 13th time. It will be held next month.
The decision was made as Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa held new talks with rival political leaders in another bid to spur them to fill the presidential seat, vacant since November. Mousa is trying to get both camps - the ruling majority and its opponents - to agree to a three-point Arab plan to break the deadlock.
The plan, welcomed by both parties, calls for the election of Army Commander General Michel Suleiman as president; the formation of a national unity government in which "no one party has veto power" and the adoption of a new electoral law.
The vague statement, issued by an urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers last week in Cairo, failed to specify the number of cabinet seats each camp would get, which is at the heart of the current crisis.
The opposition, led by Hezbollah, understood it would get the same as the other party. But the majority says it has the right to get at least half the number, practically getting more than a veto power.
Despite the Arab ministers' statement, Mousa, who was poised to clinch a deal, endorsed the ruling majority's position. This angered the opposition which accused Mousa of siding with the majority. Things were then back to square one.
The situation is both simple and complicated. It is simple because Arab ministers can easily meet and explain their plan. But it is complicated as the crisis proves that foreign powers continue to manipulate the political process.
But it remains in the hands of Lebanese leaders to shun external pressures before things get out of hand. The stability and unity of their country are at stake.
