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Lebanon's majority urges Arab pressure on Syria
Reuters,
January 4, 2008
BEIRUT, Jan 4
(Reuters) - Lebanon's anti-Syrian ruling majority urged on
Friday Arab ministers meeting in Cairo at the weekend to put
pressure on Syria to end its interference in Lebanon and
facilitate the election of a new president.
Lebanon has
been without a president since the term of the Syrian-backed
incumbent Emile Lahoud ended on Nov. 23. The majority and
the Hezbollah-led opposition have been unable to agree on a
deal to elect a successor, though both sides have backed
army chief General Michel Suleiman to fill the post.
"March 14
forces appeal to the Arab League to put pressure to lift the
hand of the Syrian regime off Lebanon and help it elect a
consensus president as soon as possible," the majority
coalition, or March 14, said in a statement, reiterating its
backing for Suleiman.
Arab League
foreign ministers will meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss
the crisis in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. Saudi
Arabia and Egypt back the ruling majority and the
pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
March 14 said
Lebanon was facing a coup against the authorities and its
political system by forces loyal to Syria and Iran.
Hezbollah,
backed by Damascus and Tehran, said this week it would allow
the election of a president only if the majority agree to
giving the opposition veto power in the new government.
Hezbollah chief
Hassan Nasrallah also said the opposition would decide on
its next move next week, hinting at civic action.
March 14
statement said the opposition was threatening strife and
measures that would harm stability.
France and
Syria ended this week two months of contacts over ways to
end the Lebanese crisis, with Paris saying Damascus was not
showing it was working for a consensus solution.
Syria responded
by saying it was seeking such a solution but accused March
14 leader Saad al-Hariri and Saudi Arabia of foiling the
French effort.
The Lebanese
parliament is set to try for a 12th time to confirm Suleiman
as president on Jan. 12 but looks unlikely to succeed as
there is little sign of reconciliation between the rival
sides. Electing a president requires a two-thirds quorum
that neither camps hold. (Reporting by Nadim Ladki;
Editing by Samia Nakhoul) |
