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Rival Lebanese Leaders Set for 1st Talks in Nearly 5 Months

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Written by News Editor

Friday, 02 May 2008

Lebanon's feuding government and opposition leaders are poised to hold their first talks in nearly five months under Arab League auspices on Friday, an aide to Speaker Nabih Berri said. "The (opposition) speaker of parliament Nabih Berri and the leader of the (pro-government) Future Movement Saad Hariri will meet on Friday for talks also to be attended by (Arab League Secretary General Amr) Moussa," a Berri aide told AFP. The announcement followed talks between the visiting Arab League chief and Berri, who has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the rump cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora since six opposition ministers quit in November 2006. He has since declined to convene parliament to pass government legislation and the standoff has left Lebanon without a president since pro-opposition incumbent Emile Lahoud stood down at the end of his term of office in November. Moussa, who has been involved in repeated efforts to broker a solution to the standoff, expressed new optimism after his latest talks. "There is a basis for understanding and a situation that could prove profitable," he said after his hour-long meeting with Berri. The Arab League chief stressed both the "importance of dialogue" between the two sides, the opposition's key demand, and the "need to elect a new president," the consistent demand of the government. The two sides have agreed on a compromise candidate for the presidency -- army chief General Michel Suleiman. However, they remain at odds over the make-up of a controversial government of national unity and a new electoral law. Berri has repeatedly called for a dialogue with the ruling pro-government March 14 coalition on the two issues but the anti-Syrian alliance has said that a new president must be elected by parliament first. A 19th attempt to elect a president has been scheduled for May 13. A previous session, set for April 22, was postponed amid continuing disagreement.(AFP)

 

 

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