Moussa’s Double Failure: No Break Through Declared, No New Meeting Set
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Monday concluded a two-day rescue mission in Beirut with double failure: No break through has been declared and no date has been set for further talks.
However, Moussa rushed to outline that “we’ve agreed on meeting again” in an apparent effort to avoid indicating that the Arab Initiative has collapsed.
He made the remarks to reporters at Parliament following a second round of talks in as many days between March 14 majority representatives, ex-President Amin Gemayel and Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri, and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in his capacity as representative of the Hizbullah-led opposition.
Moussa, who said that he would leave Beirut later in the day, outlined that all factions agree to the first clause of the Arab initiative that calls for the election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman president.
However, he said, differences persisted on structure of the forthcoming cabinet. “It is a question of mathematics,” he said.
Later, Moussa briefed Premier Fouad Saniora on his efforts stressing that “there still is work to be done, but the circumstances might allow presidential elections.”
Reliable sources said Gemayel and Hariri refused Aoun’s proposal for formation of a three 10s cabinet, which is aimed at stripping March 14 of its status as majority.
They Majority also refused to give the Hizbullah-led opposition veto powers in the forthcoming cabinet, the sources added.
With persistent discord, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was expected to issue a statement postponing a parliamentary session to elect a president set for Tuesday. sk
