Back to UN if Arab plan for Lebanon fails: French FM
January 14, 2008
The Associated Press
Original Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ivoAHYDanZe1kxKyivoF3j1TEO1g
RIYADH (AFP) — French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Monday that Lebanon's political crisis would have to be taken to the United Nations if an Arab League effort to end the impasse failed.
If it's not working with our friends of the Arab League, we will come back to the UN, Kouchner, who was accompanying French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Riyadh, told reporters.
But we hope strongly that it will work, he said without elaborating on the possible resort to the UN.
Sarkozy told the Saudi Shura (consultative) Council on Monday that France unreservedly supports the Arab League plan, describing it as fully compatible with proposals made by France.
Like Saudi Arabia, France will spare no effort to enable the Lebanese parliament to elect as soon as possible a president which the diverse components of the Lebanese nation will deem representative, he said.
The Arab League's three-point plan calls for the election of army chief Michel Sleiman as president, the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power, and the adoption of a new electoral law.
Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down on November 24 with no elected successor because of bitter rivalry between pro- and anti-Syrian camps.
Arab League chief Amr Mussa left Lebanon on Saturday without clinching an agreement on the plan but vowed to return on Wednesday to continue negotiations.
Lebanon's Western-backed ruling coalition has given the Arab plan its full support.
But the Shiite militant Hezbollah, which leads the Syria- and Iran-backed opposition, insists the opposition have a third of the seats in a new 30-member government in order to have veto power.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia urged Syria on Monday to use its influence on the Lebanese opposition to persuade it to accept the Arab blueprint.
Syria should convince those who listen to her in Lebanon (to endorse) this plan, which (Damascus) approved, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters.
There is still hope that the Lebanese sides will accept the Arab League plan, which provides a fair solution, said Saud, calling on Syria to use its influence on its Lebanese allies.
Syria has said it backs Mussa's efforts to persuade the rival Lebanese political factions to agree to the compromise plan.