Amr Moussa takes political crisis plan to Beirut

Beirut, 2008 Jan 8, Al-Manar
 
Arab League chief Amr Moussa arrives in Beirut on Wednesday on a delicate mission to try to push Lebanon's rival political leaders to accept a plan aimed at ending the country's constitutional crisis.

Armed with international support for his initiative, Mussa will seek the approval of all sides for the three-stage Arab League proposal to hold a vote in order to fill the Lebanese presidency, vacant since November 24.
 
Over the weekend, Arab foreign ministers agreed in Cairo on a plan that would see Lebanese army Chief General Michel Sleiman elected as president, a national unity government formed and a new electoral law adopted.

Lebanon has been without a president since the mandate of Former President Emile Lahoud expired on November 23, amid sharp divisions between the ruling bloc and the Lebanese national opposition.
 
A vote in the Lebanese parliament to elect a new head of state has been postponed 11 times, and the legislature is now due to meet again on January 12 for a fresh attempt.
 
MP Mohamad Haidar, from the Loyalty to the Resistance Parliamentary bloc, said his party was waiting for Mussa's arrival to guarantee that there would be "no winner and no loser" as part of the settlement plan.
 
An Arab diplomatic source in Beirut expressed optimism, telling AFP "the backing of Iran and Syria (to the Arab League initiative) is a guarantee for the success of the plan."