Security Council Urges 'Flexibility' to End Presidential Vacuum

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday urged the Lebanese parliament to quickly choose a new president to bolster stability as war rages across the border in Syria.

Lebanon has been without a president since May because of disagreements between lawmakers.

The 15-member council "expressed concern at the prolonged vacancy in the office of the presidency with a view to preserving the stability and the unity of Lebanon," said Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan, whose country chairs the council.

The top U.N. body requested that parliament move "without delay" to a vote and said Lebanon's politicians must show the "flexibility and sense of urgency" needed to agree on a successor to Michel Suleiman.

The Australian ambassador emphasized that Lebanon was facing a growing Islamist threat from Syria while struggling to cope with a massive refugee influx. 

Some 30 percent of Lebanon's population are refugees, said Quinlan.