Lebanese Parliament fails to meet to elect president

Lebanon's parliament failed to convene due to an opposition boycott in its latest attempt Friday to elect a successor to President Emile Lahoud just hours before he is set to leave office, putting the country in a potentially explosive political vacuum. Speaker Nabih Berri said in a statement that the session was postponed for a week until Nov. 30 to give more time "for additional consultations to reach a consensus on electing a president." The opposition-aligned Berri made the decision 30 minutes after the legislature failed to muster the necessary two-thirds quorum to begin voting. It followed consultations with leaders of the parliamentary majority.