Breakthrough Lebanese deal to be 'carried out immediately'

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.