End to Lebanon crisis for pres elections-Hezbollah

BEIRUT, May 18 (Reuters) Presidential elections cannot be held in Lebanon until a solution is reached to the six-month old political crisis between the Hezbollah-led opposition and the ruling anti-Syrian majority, a senior Hezbollah figure said.

The term of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, extended at the behest of Damascus in 2004, expires in November.

Since last year, the country has been locked in a standoff over opposition demands for greater power and its rejection of the government's calls for an international tribunal to try suspects for the killing of ex-prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Mohammad Fneish, a former Hezbollah minister, told Al Hayat daily in an interview published today that rival parties had to find an agreeable government formation.

''It is not feasible that this (presidential elections) happens in the midst of the current political divisions and while there is a party (ruling coalition) that is resorting to monopolising power and getting strength from external support,'' he said referring to US support of Siniora's government.

Fneish, who along with other pro-Syrian ministers resigned from cabinet last November in protest against Siniora's refusal to give the opposition a greater say in government, added: ''If there is no real consensus on partnership, on the political future of the country and on the identity of the president, the opposition will not allow this faction (ruling coalition) from ruling the country...,'' he added.

The rival camps accuse each other of working to foreign agendas to the detriment of Lebanon. Hezbollah describes the cabinet as a US puppet while the governing coalition says the opposition takes orders from Iran and Syria.

Lahoud has said he will not hand over his authorities to the current government, a procedural step towards the election of a new head of state. He might instead appoint a new government, leaving Lebanon with two cabinets.

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