World News Story

01 December 2008 22:01 BST

Breakthrough reached in Lebanon talks

Arab mediators have hailed a breakthrough deal in talks between Lebanon's warring political factions in Doha.

Five days of talks between the government and the Hizbullah-led opposition have borne an agreement that ends the country's political vacuum, Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said.

He told reporters the agreement was "effective immediately" and would lead to a General Michel Sleiman being installed as president within 24 hours.

The army chief has been selected as a compromise candidate to succeed Emile Lahoud, with the president's office remaining empty since he stood down last November.

Hizbullah, which triggered several days of violence earlier this month when its armed supporters seized control of Beirut, has retained its veto power in a national unity government, Sheikh al-Thani said.

The Shia Muslim organisation has earned 11 cabinet seats, with 16 being allocated towards the government and three to be determined by Gen Sleiman.

The issues of Hizbullah's armaments and the UN tribunal over the assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri remain unresolved, however.

But an agreement was reached outlawing the use of weapons in political disagreements.

"We must pledge never to resort to arms to resolve our political differences," prime minister Fouad Siniora told the Doha delegates.

"We should accept each other and hold dialogue to solve the problems. We want to live together and we will continue that. We have no other choice."

The internal bloodshed witnessed earlier this month between pro-government groups and Hizbullah and its allies was the worst seen in Lebanon since the 1975-1990 civil war.

The threat of a second civil war breaking out has now been all but removed, analysts have claimed.

This evening, foreign secretary David Miliband welcomed the agreement, saying: "Today's announcement of an agreement for Lebanon, 'the Doha Accord', is a step forward from the conflict of last week. I pay tribute to Qatar and the Arab League, who did so much to make this agreement possible.

"It is now important that the agreement is implemented. I urge all sides to grasp this opportunity for Lebanon to move beyond the impasse that has blighted the country for so long. In this spirit I look forward to the swift election of a new President and the formation of a new unity government. Our support will continue to be firmly behind the government and people of Lebanon."