Lebanon postpones president elections over political division

The Lebanese parliament on Wednesday postpones president elections for the 31st times due to a lack of required quorum.

The parliament speaker adjourned the session and called for a new one on Dec. 2 after only 40 MPs showed at the house by noon, as the constitution says two thirds of the 128-seat parliament should be present to elect a new president.

Lebanon has been in a presidential vacuum since May 2014, after the six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman ended. The parliament has since failed to elect an incumbent due to the lack of a constitutionally required quorum.

A sharp political division between the two main political streams in Lebanon has hindered the elections.

The pro-western March 14 coalition backs the candidacy of the Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, while the Syrian-Iranian backed March 8 coalition led by Hezbollah supports the candidacy of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called Wednesday for a "comprehensive political settlement" in Lebanon, proposing "bilateral, tripartite or four-party talks to discuss the issues of the presidency, the premier, the government's structure and the electoral law."

His remarks came ahead of a legislative session which is due Thursday and Friday, as tensions had peaked between Christian parties, which had threatened to boycott the session, and other political blocs willing to attend it.

The Christian blocs of the Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement had warned that they would not attend the meeting over the failure to include the electoral draft-law on the agenda.

The dispute over the electoral law dates back to 2013 when the political parties failed to agree on a new one, resulting in parliament extending its own term and postponing the elections.

The parliament again extended its term in 2014 over the same dispute. Endit