Middle East News

CHRONOLOGY: Lebanese rival leaders agree on national unity cabinet

Jul 11, 2008, 13:28 GMT

Beirut - Following months of political bickering, Lebanese leaders Friday managed to put their differences aside and agreed on the line-up of the new national unity cabinet. Following is a chronology of political events since November 23, 2007: November 23, 2007 - Former Lebanese president Emile Lahoud leaves the presidential palace at end of his term, but no successor has been elected. According to the constitution, the government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora assumes executive powers. December 5 - Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri says rival Lebanese leaders have agreed on General Michel Suleiman as a consensus president. Deccember 12 - Car bomb kills Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, the army's head of operations, and a bodyguard in a Christian town east of Beirut. January 15, 2008 - Car bomb in Christian area of Beirut kills at least three people and wounds 16. The explosion targeted a US embassy car. January 25 - Wisam Eid, a captain in a Lebanese police intelligence unit, is killed by a bomb blast in the mainly Christian East Beirut. At least five other people are killed. May 6 - Tension increases between Hezbollah and the Western-backed ruling majority after the government accused the group of spying on Beirut airport. On the same day, the cabinet took the decision to fire the head of airport security who is close to the opposition. May 7 - Some 10 people are wounded as government supporters clash with gunmen loyal to the Hezbollah-led opposition in Beirut after followers of Hezbollah paralyse the capital by cutting off roads and closing Beirut airport to protest the government decision. May 8 - Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah says the government has declared war against the group after its decision to dismantle the group's communication network near Beirut international airport. May 9 - Hezbollah takes control of the Muslim half of Beirut where most of the ruling majority leaders reside. May 10 - Hezbollah fighters pull back from areas they had seized in Beirut after the army took control of the city. May 11 - Hezbollah-led forces clash with gunmen loyal to Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, in the Aley district east of Beirut before Jumblatt agreed to hand them over to the army. May 21 - Rival Lebanese leaders sign a deal to end 18 months of political conflict. The deal, concluded after days of Arab-mediated talks in Doha, Qatar, paved the way for parliament to elect Suleiman as president. May 25 - President Suleiman is sworn in amid Arab and international backing. May 28 - Suleiman appoints Seniora to head a national unity government which was agreed on under the deal. June 5 - French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Beirut for five hours to urge leaders to reconcile. July 11 - Leaders agree on a unity government that gives veto power to the Hezbollah-led opposition as agreed under the Doha deal.

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