(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-11-23 22:29

BEIRUT -- Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri and ruling coalition leader Saad Hariri held talks Friday noon before the latest delay of presidential elections, local Naharnet news website said.

Lebanon's Parliament Majority leader Saad al-Hariri looks on as he walks outside the parliament in Beirut Nov. 23, 2007. [Agencies]

Berri and Hariri arrived at parliament respectively at the noon and they are holding talks, the report said, minutes before the parliament announced its session for electing a new president scheduled on Friday is postponed till November 30.

While Berri and Hariri were holding talks, a number of members of parliament, from both rivals, the majority and the opposition, also reached the parliament building.

Earlier, Berri also met anti-Syrian lawmaker Walid Jumblat who is also Druze leader, and presidential hopeful Butros Harb, according to the report.

The parliament is scheduled to convene at 1 pm (1100 GMT) to pick a successor to replace pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud whose term ends at midnight.

But short after the deadline, a parliament spokesman announced the fifth postponement of the presidential election since September 25.

Local media have predicted that the session might not be able to convene as the ruling majority and the opposition have failed to agree on a consensus candidate to replace President Lahoud.

Under Lebanon's constitution, if no president is elected by the parliament in time limit, presidential powers pass to the government.

But Lahoud has reiterated that he will not hand over the power to the government led by Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, which he considered as "illegitimate."