Arab League chief Amr
Moussa talks to reporters after meets with Lebanon's Christian
Maronite Patriarch Mar-Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir in Bkerki, north of
Beirut, in this January.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Sunday called for
more efforts and more negotiations for solving the Lebanese
political crisis.
"There are some outcome in my visits," but "more efforts and
more negotiations" are needed, Moussa told reporters before leaving
Beirut.
This is Moussa's third visit to Lebanon during the past two
weeks, in which he held marathon talks with Lebanese leaders to
promote an Arab initiative which was endorsed in Cairo on January
6.
"There are still difficulties that might need longer time, and
we have other problems as well," Moussa said after meeting with
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.
The three-point Arab plan aimed at immediately electing Lebanese
Army Commander General Michel Suleiman as Lebanese president and
proceeding to forming a government of national unity and drafting a
new electoral law.
Moussa, meanwhile, said a progress has been achieved to
"rebuilding bridges between leaders of the opposition and majority"
to discuss a settlement over the presidential standoff.
He hoped the discussions would continue "because difficulties
are in every corner of this file and we should finalize them one by
one."
Last Thursday, Moussa brought together leader of the Change and
Reform Bloc MP Michel Aoun, who represents the opposition, and
leader of the Future Bloc MP Saad Hariri and former President Amin
Gemayel from the majority camp.
Earlier Sunday, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
postponed a session to elect a president until Febcruary 11. It is
the 13th postponement since September 25, 2007.
The majority and opposition are in agreement on electing
Suleiman but remain at odds over the formation of a government of
national unity.
Lebanese presidential seat has been vacant since former
President Emile Lahoud ended his term on November 24.
(Xinhua News Agency, January 21, 2008)