BEIRUT, Lebanon - Talks between Lebanese leaders aimed at digging the country out of political quagmire are to resume Monday amid persistent divisions which caused the meeting to break off mid-way.

The political roundtable, the first of its kind since the end of Lebanon's civil war (1975-1990) and the April 2005 departure of Syrian troops, was designed to insulate Lebanese leaders from external pressures so they could forge a so far elusive unity.

Debates have focused on the future of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, UN Security Council demands for the disarmament of Palestinian militias and the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and tense relations with Syria.

The week-long talks -- involving 14 factions, some loyal to and some opposed to Syria -- kicked off on March 2 but were broken off several days later after Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a staunch opponent of Damascus -- appealed in Washington for US support in efforts against Lebanon's eastern neighbour.

Jumblatt asked US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for "political and moral support" and "protection against aggressions by the Syrian regime and its Iranian extension," and also renewed calls for Hezbollah to disarm.

Rice said she hoped for a "free and fair" presidential election in Lebanon, in a swipe at Lahoud's controversially prolonged three-year mandate which was backed by then powerbroker Syria in 2004.

Jumblatt is a key figure in the anti-Syrian alliance that has controlled parliament and led the government since elections last year that were the first in three decades free of the presence of Syrian troops.

His remarks led to heated recriminations and Lebanese officials scrambled to reassure the public that the pause in the national conference did not spell its imminent collapse.

Parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, the conference's official spokesman, said Jumblatt's comments were "nothing new and are not the reason for the delay".

"Some parties asked for a pause so they could consult with their leaders before taking definitive decisions... We're simply taking some time out for reflection in order to reach an agreement."

However, the postponement led Lebanese media to speculate that the talks were doomed.

Jumblatt, who returns to Lebanon this weekend, has said he does not want the talks to collapse, but refuses to back down on his positions even if he has to "go it alone."

Furthermore, the potential for compromise on the hot-button issues seems distant, as Lahoud has consistently refused to step down despite multiplying calls for his resignation, and Hezbollah has refused to lay down its arms despite the passage of a UN resolution calling for militia disarmament.

The question of renewing ties with Syria has also proved a sticking point for Lebanon's deeply divided political elite.

Representing Damascus's allies are Shiite leaders Berri, who heads the Amal movement, and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Halfway between Damascus and Washington is Christian ex-general Michel Aoun who harbors presidential ambitions and recently formed an alliance with Hezbollah.

Leaders of the parliamentary majority include Saad Hariri, the son of the ex-premier Rafiq Hariri who was killed in a bomb blast last year; the fiercely outspoken Jumblatt; and Samir Geagea who heads the Lebanese Forces, once allied with Israel.

Amid such political antagonisms, the Lebanese weekly Magazine said the conference wasted no time transforming itself into a "Dialogue of Dupes."

But the conference, which was hailed by UN chief Kofi Annan, has drawn appeals for bold steps from Lebanese business leaders who fear a worsening economic crisis if it fails.

The powerful Federation of Chambers of Commerce warned Friday that political divisions had now "reached such a pitch they threaten to weaken political, economic and social structures."

The national dialogue conference was the one "glimmer of hope" that "could save the country from the dangers that threaten it," it warned.

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