US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Leba**n Wednesday to elect a "fully empowered" president, free from foreign influence, as a major political crisis has left the country's top post vacant. "The current political stalemate here in Leba**n is deeply troubling," he said, speaking to reporters. "It's unfortunate that the parliament did **t elect a president on schedule, as the Lebanese constitution requires." Leba**n has had ** president since May 25, when Michel Sleiman's mandate expired because the two rival blocs that dominate politics have been unable to agree on a successor. Leba**n, which was dominated by Syria for nearly 30 years until 2005, is sharply divided into pro- and anti-Damascus camps.