Saudi backs consensus candidate for Lebanon

Saudi Arabia called on Monday for rival Lebanese MPs to work to agree on a consensus candidate to take over as their country's next head of state, as deadlock remained ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary presidential vote.

"This is what we hope will happen -- that there be a consensus president in Lebanon. And this is what we believe everyone is striving for," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said, in an interview with Al-Arabiya news channel.

Al-Faisal also called for Arab states to protect MPs following the murder of several anti-Syrian figures from
Lebanon's ruling majority.

"We fully support any call for Arab states to look into this matter," Saud said about calls for Lebanese MPs to be protected following the killing in a car bomb last Wednesday of anti-Syrian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem.

But Saud, whose country supports the Western-backed government in Beirut, did not appear to favor international protection for the vote, a process which will kick off on Tuesday and must be completed by November 24.

"I think the Arab states must take the initiative in this regard," he said from New York.

Unlikely result

Meanwhile, Lebanese parliament speaker was optimistic Monday that a new president would be elected by a November 24 deadline despite a total deadlock among rival MPs on the eve of the crucial session in the house.

"By November 24, there will be a president of the republic who will have the approval of all the Lebanese," Nahih Berri, who is a leading opposition member, told reporters.

His upbeat statement came as the two camps in divided Lebanon acknowledged Tuesday's session was unlikely to yield a result since feuding parties have yet to agree on a consensus candidate.

The session comes as the government asked the army Monday to take "all security measures ...to guarantee the safety of MPs," who have been living in hiding, many of them in a highly-secure luxury hotel near the parliament.

Berri's comments came after a surprise meeting with powerful Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, who heads the Maronite church from which the country's heads of state are traditionally chosen.

"The atmosphere is positive, not pessimistic," the speaker said.

"I am optimistic, but one hand cannot clap on its own," he added, urging the ruling majority to "put our hands together in order to reach a solution that would satisfy everybody."

Several legislators and politicians interviewed by AFP said
Tuesday's session would focus on consultative talks between the feuding factions rather than try to reach the quorum necessary to elect a president.
The list of candidates for Lebanon’s head of state post includes Nasseb Lahoud, cousin of the incumbent president, endorsed by the opposition.
Michel Aoun, a former army commander, is also endorsed by the Syrian-backed opposition. Michel Suleiman, an army commander since 1998, Riad Salameh, Boutros Harb Jean Obeid and Micheal Edde are also high-profile candidates.