Lebanon faces vacuum unrest
Violence is feared on the streets of Beirut
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Friday, 23, Nov 2007 06:20
Lebanese lawmakers have failed to reach agreement on a replacement to outgoing president Emile Lahoud, who steps down at midnight.
From tomorrow the Middle Eastern state will not have a president, despite months of negotiation between Christian and pro-Syrian elements.
Final efforts failed when it became clear no agreement was to be reached earlier today. Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese parliament, announced that further consultation would take place before another attempt on November 30th.
For the next week the small state faces a power vacuum which many fear could result in violent clashes on the streets of Beirut.
Pro-western prime minister Fouad Siniora will assume the presidency's powers with his cabinet in the interim, a move bitterly contested by his opponents.
The Lebanese army has deployed in force in an attempt to provide security.
"Frankly, [the politicians] are making fools of us," receptionist Huda Shaul told the AFP news agency.
"We are living on our nerves. We don't know anything. How can we live calmly? We feel powerless."
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has attempted to mediate a settlement on Mr Lahoud's successor, who according to Lebanon's strictly sectarian constitution must be a Maronite Christian.
Mr Siniora's government holds a slim majority, insufficient to obtain the two-thirds quorum required to vote in a new president.