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| Top-level talks on Lebanon crisis | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Lebanon's army chief and potential president, Gen Michel Suleiman, has met the head of the Maronite church amid efforts to end the political crisis. | Lebanon's army chief and potential president, Gen Michel Suleiman, has met the head of the Maronite church amid efforts to end the political crisis. |
| The government and opposition have agreed in principle that General Suleiman should stand for the country's vacant presidency. | The government and opposition have agreed in principle that General Suleiman should stand for the country's vacant presidency. |
| But they have yet to finalise how to amend the constitution to make it possible for him to do so. | But they have yet to finalise how to amend the constitution to make it possible for him to do so. |
| Lebanon's parliament is due to convene to elect the president on Tuesday. | Lebanon's parliament is due to convene to elect the president on Tuesday. |
| Some reports say the session, delayed seven times since September, is likely to be postponed again. | Some reports say the session, delayed seven times since September, is likely to be postponed again. |
| "Despite progress achieved, it is almost certain that Tuesday's session will not be held," a senior source, quoted by Reuters news agency, said. | |
| Deadlock | Deadlock |
| Under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, the country's president must be from the Maronite Christian minority, while other communities hold other positions. | Under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, the country's president must be from the Maronite Christian minority, while other communities hold other positions. |
| Gen Suleiman, who is a Maronite, left his meeting with Maronite patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir without making any comment. | |
| During the deadlock - Lebanon's worst political crisis since the country's long civil war ended in 1990 - the economy and parliament have been crippled and the opposition has refused to recognise the government. | During the deadlock - Lebanon's worst political crisis since the country's long civil war ended in 1990 - the economy and parliament have been crippled and the opposition has refused to recognise the government. |
| Under Article 49 of the current constitution, senior civil servants are barred from becoming president within two years of stepping down. | Under Article 49 of the current constitution, senior civil servants are barred from becoming president within two years of stepping down. |
| Correspondents say Gen Suleiman has remained neutral amid feuding between the Western-backed government and pro-Syrian opposition, and has repeatedly called for the army to be kept out of politics. |