The UN chief met Nasrallah Sfeir, the influential spiritual leader of the Christian Maronite community, and was holding talks with members of the Western-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition.

On his arrival in Beirut on Thursday, Ban also held talks with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, pro-opposition parliament speaker Nabih Berri, and Saad Hariri, head of the pro-government bloc in parliament.

Siniora's government and the opposition, which is backed by Syria and Iran, have been engaged in a bitter struggle over who should be chosen to replace the current Damascus-backed head of state Emile Lahoud, whose term expires November 24.

The deadlock marks the country's worst political crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war and there are fears that the country could end up with two parallel government if the feuding sides fail to agree.

Lebanon's president must be a Maronite Christian according to the country's confessional power-sharing system and is elected by parliament rather than by popular suffrage.

Three special parliament sessions to elect a successor to Lahoud have already been postponed because of the deadlock and there are fears that a last-chance vote on November 21 could meet the same fate.

Ban warned on Thursday that Lebanon stood at a crossroads in its modern history and that it was essential the vote on a new president take place next week.

"A free and fair election of a new president appointed through constitutional rules, without foreign interference, is a milestone for the development of Lebanon as a vibrant democracy," he said.

"The new Lebanese president should enjoy the broadest possible acceptance so that he or she can represent all Lebanese people."

France, Lebanon's former colonial power, has spearheaded diplomatic efforts for the vote to take place with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner convincing the Maronite patriarch earlier this week to draw up a list of candidates whose names could then be put to both the majority and the opposition.

Hezbollah official Nawaf al-Moussawi told AFP his organisation had handed the name of its nominee to the patriarch and to French envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran but declined to identify the candidate.

The Al-Akhbar daily, which is close to the opposition, said Hezbollah's candidate was Michel Aoun, a retired general and former army commander who struck a political deal with the militant group in 2006.

Apart from Kouchner and the UN chief, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema was expected in Beirut late on Friday to join the diplomatic efforts.

Kouchner is also due to return next week -- for his sixth visit in as many months -- to ensure the vote goes through.

Siniora's cabinet has been paralysed since the opposition withdrew its six ministers in November last year in a bid to gain more representation in government. -AFP