Lebanon leader's vote delayed 13th time

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Political bickering will delay the Lebanese parliamentary vote for a new president until February, the house speaker announced.

A statement from Nabih Berri's office said Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa was in Beirut trying to negotiate an end to the political standoff since pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud's terrm ended Nov. 23. the Alalam Satellite TV network reported Monday.

"Monday's session has been postponed until Feb. 11 to allow further dialogue between the different parties on the Arab initiative," Berri wrote.

The report said the Arab plan Mussa advocates called for the election of army chief Gen. Michel Sleiman as president, forming a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of new electoral laws.

"There are difficulties at each corner ... and on each detail of the Lebanese issue," Mussa told reporters. "We have to get rid of the difficulties one by one."