Lebanese speaker delays national dialogue talks

BEIRUT, Oct 29 (Reuters) Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has postponed by a week the start of broad cross-party discussions aimed at easing a simmering political crisis, a statement said today.

Berri, a Shi'ite Muslim leader allied with the Islamic militant Hezbollah group, had asked politicians to begin up to 15 days of talks tomorrow to discuss demands for a national unity government and a new election law.

Hezbollah and its allies have been demanding a new government since a one-month war between Israel and its guerrilla forces ended in August.

But anti-Syrian coalition members, who dominate in Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government, have dismissed the call, prompting the pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies to threaten street protests.

''It has been decided to delay the meeting to Monday Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. (1430 hrs IST) in parliament instead of the coming Monday,'' said the statement from Berri's media office.

The US-backed coalition, which supports international calls for the disarming of Hezbollah, has a majority in parliament. But Siniora's 24-member cabinet also includes five ministers from Hezbollah and Berri's Amal group.

Hezbollah wants more of its allies included, especially Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun and pro-Syrian groups.

Berri has hosted several ''National Dialogue'' meetings this year, but these have lapsed since war erupted in July after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.

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