Shortly after arriving Mussa met Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, a Lebanese official said. Later, he was to meet parliament speaker Nabi Berri, a leader of the Syrian- and Iranian-backed opposition to Siniora.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since November 24, after Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term.

So far 13 sessions of parliament called to elect a new president since September have had to be scrapped amid bickering between the two sides. A new session is scheduled for Monday.

Mussa has been trying to sell a three-point rescue plan that two previous trips were unsuccessful in doing.

The initiative calls for the election of army chief General Michel Sleiman as president, the formation of a national unity government in which no single party has a veto power and the adoption of a new electoral law.

The ruling coalition has accepted the Arab plan but the opposition is demanding a third of the seats in a new government in order to secure veto power.