By Xinhua
Beijing : Former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel said on Tuesday that an Arab initiative aimed at ending Lebanon’s crisis is “highly obstructed,” local Voice of Lebanon (VOL) radio reported.
“I do not personally encourage any meeting before things are clear,” Gemayel said in an interview with VOL, referring to proposals for new meetings between the opposition and ruling coalition representatives in Cairo.
“We do not want to give the people unrealistic hopes,” said Gemayel who is in Saudi Arabia on a visit, adding that he would “gather all support from Lebanon’s friends in order to stand against those violating the constitution.”
In February, Gemayel attended meetings between opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun and majority leader Saad Hariri in Beirut which were sponsored by Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa.
Local media reported on Tuesday that a number of phone discussions between Moussa and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri proposed “new ideas” to reach an agreement before the next presidential election session scheduled for March 11.
Meetings between Lebanese delegates from the opposition and ruling coalition, sponsored by Moussa in Cairo, were considered in the discussions, said the reports.
During his prior missions to Beirut, Moussa has failed so far in convincing the two Lebanese rival blocs to accept an Arab plan which was endorsed in Cairo on Jan. 6.
The three-point 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.
Lebanese presidential seat has been vacant since former president Emile Lahoud ended his term on Nov. 24, 2007 and the sharply divided Lebanese parliament has delayed the elections for 15 times without a consensus.