In a bid to reduce tension, former president Amin Gemayel of the governing March 14th coalition, met with Speaker Nabih Berri of the Hizbollah-led Opposition and agreed that there would be a meeting but no nominating of candidates or balloting.

While most of the deputies of the governing coalition are to attend and some from the Opposition, there will not be enough for a quorum, denying either side the opportunity to spring an election. The aim of the session is to renew dialogue between the bitterly divided government and Opposition camps so that after the feast that ends the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, parliament can reconvene and conduct the election.

The decision to meet is seen as a positive step by most Lebanese who feared that there would be no session. This is likely to reduce tension which has risen since the assassination a week ago by car bomb of March 14th deputy Antoine Ghanem. This was blamed by the movement on Hizbollah's ally Syria.

Ghanem and 39 other members of March 14th had left the country because of the murder in June of another member of the coalition. He had been here only two days before his death, making others wary of returning. Seven other coalition figures have been murdered over the last two-and-a-half years. Consequently, ministers in the coalition—dominated cabinet have been living at the Serai, an Ottoman-era administration building, and surviving deputies, who believe the assassins are determined to cut down the narrow March 14th majority, are being accommodated in the luxury Phoenicia Hotel. It has been cleared of other patrons and surrounded by barricades, razor wire, troops and tanks.

The presidential election process is expected to drag on until the November 24 deadline when incumbent Emile Lahoud steps down. The government, which enjoys the backing of the US, is not yet prepared to reach an accommodation with the Opposition, supported by Syria and Iran. External mediators Saudi Arabia, the Arab League, France and UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon have adopted the initiative put forward by Berri for a consensus candidate from neither of the contending parties.  An opinion poll revealed that 60.5 per cent of Lebanese prefer a this option. Unfortunately, the US, which originally proposed this compromise, seems to have changed its mind because a consensus candidate will have to be blessed by Hizbollah and Syria. 

Dr Sofia Saade, an historian and author, told Deccan Herald, “We have to look at the big picture. The US is on the offensive in the region. In the end, whatever happens will be decided by the US.”

Washington no longer seeks a settlement on the traditional Lebanese “no victor, no vanquished” formula. The Bush administration “wants a victor”. Its objective is the destruction of Hizbollah which is considered a threat to Israel.