Lebanese rivals struggle to iron out differences

Rival Lebanese leaders pressed on with talks on Sunday to try to end a feud that pushed the nation towards all-out sectarian war, with the focus on a disputed electoral law and the divisive issue of Hezbollah weapons.
The Qatari hosts of the Arab-brokered talks succeeded on Saturday in defusing a clash over the weaponry of the powerful Syria- and Iran-backed Shia militia by offering to come up with a proposal on the thorny issue while Lebanese negotiators focused on other matters.
Although no timeframe for the talks has been announced, Arab League secretary general Amr Mussa said he expected Sunday to be a "decisive" day.
Lebanon's rival factions agreed last Thursday to renew a dialogue to try to resolve a protracted political impasse, which erupted into days of deadly sectarian fighting and saw Hezbollah and its allies temporarily seize swathes of west Beirut.
The US-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition have been locked in a political dispute for 18 months that has prevented the election of a president.
The 14 political leaders in Qatar did not meet again after a first session on Saturday. Instead, a joint committee tasked with addressing an electoral law for a parliamentary poll due next year began work.
"We are trying to resolve differences," opposition MP and committee member Ali Hasan Khalil told reporters.
The factions differ on the delineation of constituencies, fearing they would lose parliamentary seats due to demographic changes which would follow any alteration of boundaries.
In addition to the electoral law, another committee was formed to discuss a proposed unity government, Lebanese pro-government newspaper An-Nahar reported.
Both sides have already agreed on army chief Michel Sleiman to succeed Damascus protege Emile Lahoud, who stepped down as president in November at the end of his term, but they disagree on power-sharing in a unity government.