Suleiman was finally elected on May 25 by a divided parliament, filling a post that had been vacant for six months, and immediately reappointed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to begin forming a cabinet in accordance with the Doha accord.

But two weeks after Siniora's designation, there has been a delay in the formation of the cabinet amid political rivalry between the pro-Western parliamentary majority coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition over distribution of the portfolios.

The Doha accord of May 21 ended an 18-month political deadlock that had plunged the country into its worst crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, which led to Suleiman's election and an end to the opposition protest in downtown Beirut.

While the agreement gave the opposition, backed by Syria and Iran, enough cabinet seats to guarantee it veto power, the political struggle between the two camps continued Thursday over which party would assume which ministry.

The Doha accord gave the majority coalition 16 cabinet seats, 11 for the opposition, and three to be chosen by the president, but the agreement did not spell out the specific portfolios.

Officials said there was agreement to give the president, the former army chief, the right to choose the defense and interior ministries to ensure their independence.

But Suleiman, who is also commander in chief, is not directly interfering in the many "consultation" meetings that are taking place, although reports say he is nervous that further delays would keep the security situation in the country fragile, at best.

The relief that came with the Doha accord and Suleiman's election was short-lived, as several clashes have erupted between supporters of the rival leaders in the past two weeks, prompting Suleiman to call on politicians to hurry up and form a new government.

"Political agreement brings about security," was one of the statements the new president was quoted as saying in one of his meetings with leaders of the different sectors of society this week.

Lebanese analysts say the delay in forming a government and the vulnerable security conditions this brings is not helping the president build the political consensus it was hoped he would forge after successfully keeping the army united and neutral during the period of political polarization, which came dangerously close to an eruption of all-out civil strife, in the lead-up to the Doha accord.

Commentators have criticized the squabbling politicians for not doing their part in boosting the president's role as a "symbol of the nation's unity," in line with the country's constitution.

Meanwhile, reports from Beirut indicated Thursday that Siniora, who was selected by the majority, was close to distributing the portfolios after he gave up the finance ministry to the opposition, which has also been demanding the foreign affairs position.

Siniora reportedly gave to the opposition the choice between two sets of ministries, but neither included both the foreign affairs and finance. The majority coalition was still awaiting a response from the anti-Western opposition.

Analysts say that Suleiman's hands are tied until the new government is formed, but warn that even after such a unity government is created, his authority is likely to continue to be undermined due to the way in which he became head the state.

Defying most predictions, the country managed to survive without a president for six months and he was chosen as the "consensus candidate" long before the political leaders signed the Doha accord.

Suleiman did not become president through a natural election process, but in a political settlement after months of bargaining, raising doubts about how independent his decisions could be as he tries to compromise between the rivals, who disagree on a wide range of fundamental domestic and foreign policies.

Analysts in Beirut say that any decree by Suleiman, which in any case must be endorsed by the prime minister, would still need the approval of both camps and may be vetoed by either side.

Unless the politicians find the will and common ground that would bolster Suleiman's role to unify the country, the Lebanese president will remain in a tough position.