Lebanon fails to elect president for 30th time

Lebanese lawmakers failed in a 30th session Wednesday to elect a new head of state after a nearly year-and-a-half-long presidential vacuum.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri set the next presidential election session to Nov. 11, as lawmakers from the March 8 coalition upheld their boycott of the vote.

Lawmakers have failed to elect a successor to former President Michel Sleiman in 29 consecutive sessions, whose term ended on May 25, 2014, over a lack of quorum.

The first election session reached a quorum, but there was no consensus.

The failure to elect a successor to Sleiman has plunged the country into a presidential impasse that has paralyzed parliament and threatens to collapse the cabinet.