BEIRUT (AFP) - The political party of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, the sole declared candidate to date for Lebanon’s disputed presidential election, launched its own television channel on Friday.

OTV began broadcasting with a news bulletin, with an orange symbol on the screen after the colour of the retired general’s Free Patriotic Movement. In its initial phase, the channel was to put out six hours of broadcasting a day.

A first round of the presidential election is scheduled for September 25.

Parliament has to elect a successor to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, whose term ends on November 25. The president is elected by a two-thirds majority in parliament, failing which a second round is held with only an absolute majority needed.

While the majority controls enough seats to elect a president, it still needs the pro-Syrian opposition led by Hezbollah, with which Aoun is allied, to take part for the two-thirds quorum which parliament traditionally needs to convene.