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Presidential Elections Postponed, Moussa Left After Aoun Rejected Berri's Settlement Concept

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Written by News Editor

Saturday, 09 February 2008

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday postponed presidential elections to Feb. 26, a few hours after Arab league Chief Amr Moussa left Beirut announcing that the Arab Initiative "Persists" with "some hope." A statement said Berri "decided to postpone the session that had been scheduled for February 11 to elect a president until Tuesday, February 26." The statement did not set a reason for the move that was announced a few hours after Moussa left Beirut, following his failure to work out an agreement between the opposition and majority on implementing the Arab initiative the calls for electing Gen. Michel Suleiman president. Talking to reporters at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport Moussa said: "I'm leaving with some hope." In answering a question about alleged American rejection of the Arab Initiative, Moussa said: "I am not aware of American reservations … this is an Arab initiative and does not have non-Arab dimensions." "We have some hope," Moussa concluded. In answering a question as to whether the Arab initiative has failed, Moussa said: "The Arab initiative persists, we have some hope that we should adhere to and invest." The developments followed reported disagreement between Opposition figures on approaching Moussa's mission, which raised the question as to who represents the opposition. The focal question was asked by political circles Saturday following contradiction of viewpoints presented to Moussa by Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in separate talks Friday. Moussa reportedly told Aoun, in the latter's capacity as opposition negotiator, and majority representatives, ex-President Amin Gemayel and Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri, during a meeting at the house Friday that Berri proposes a tripartite power sharing concept for the formation of a new cabinet after Suleiman's election president. Aoun replied by saying he was "not aware" of such a concept being adopted by the opposition. After making telephone contacts from outside the conference room, Aoun came back to say he insists on pre-agreement on the forthcoming prime minister, the new army commander and directors of security agencies. The condition was rejected by Majority representatives and Hariri asked Moussa to note in the minutes of the talks that the March 14 majority approves the Arab League Chief's original proposal of forming a cabinet along the lines of 10 seats for the opposition, 13 for the majority and seven for the president. "Why do you insist on holding blocking (veto) powers in the government?" Moussa asked Aoun. Aoun Replied: "Why won't they give us blocking powers in the cabinet at a time are blocking the presidency, parliament and the cabinet without being held responsible for that?" Gemayel intervened in the conversation, addressing Aoun: "We congratulate you for being proud of punishing the Lebanese people." Moussa, apparently upset by the lack of progress, announced that he would leave Beirut and stated that further talks are needed. However, Berri tried to salvage the mission later in the day and asked the Arab League chief to postpone his departure pending last minute efforts by the speaker, that have apparently failed to mend fences. An-Nahar daily quoted Moussa as saying the quartet talks would convene anew on Feb. 24.

 

 

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