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A deal seen as key to avoiding civil war in Lebanon been reached at talks in Qatar, delegates from both sides say.

The BBC's Jim Muir says it seems the opposition have won their demand for enough seats in a new cabinet to give it the power of veto.

Arab states have being mediating between the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition.

The 18-month deadlock has caused paralysis to Lebanon's deeply divided sectarian politics, and bloody clashes.

Five days of talks in Doha have focused on election laws and the make-up of the cabinet.

Government supporters say the controversial issue of Hezbollah's sizeable arsenal - part of which was used in a brief take-over of west Beirut earlier in May, has also been addressed.

Marwan Hamadeh MP said the "agreement forbids internal use of weapons ... and calls for dialogue ... on the whole subject of arms".

Hezbollah has been refusing to give up any of its military capability, arguing that it is essential in the struggle against Lebanon's southern neighbour Israel.

An agreement would pave the way for parliament to elect army chief General Michel Suleiman as president, a position that has been empty since November.

Street battles

Opposition MP Ali Hasan Khalil said he expected a parliamentary vote to elect a president on Thursday or Friday.

The rival groups had agreed last year on electing army chief Gen Michel Suleiman to succeed outgoing pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, but disagreement over the other issues delayed the vote.

Lebanon has been in political crisis since late 2006 when the Hezbollah-led opposition left a national unity coalition cabinet, demanding more power and a veto over government decisions.

Street battles between armed supporters of the factions two weeks ago left at least 65 people dead.

Government attempts to outlaw Hezbollah's private telephone network and reassign Beirut airport's security chief triggered the worst violence since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

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