Beirut: The head of the Arab League has said there is a chance to break Lebanon's political deadlock which has left the country without a President for more than five months. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa made the comments after meeting with feuding Lebanese factions in his latest attempt to break the impasse.
"Time is passing but I think there is a chance which we can exploit to make serious progress," Moussa told reporters after a two-hour meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is aligned with the opposition. Moussa's visit came two weeks after a similar trip by US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch highlighting mounting Arab and international concern over Lebanon's failure to fill the top post.
Lebanon has been without a President since pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud's term ended November 23 and parliament failed to elect a successor. The sharply divided parliament agreed on Army commander Gen Michel Suleiman as a consensus President but has failed to elect him because the US-backed parliamentary majority and the Syrian-backed opposition led by Hezbollah are at loggerheads over power-sharing and the shape of the future Cabinet.
The majority has rejected the opposition's demand for veto power over future government decisions. Moussa described his talks with Berri as extremely important.
