Mussa: Do not wait for others to solve your problems

Source: alalam.ir, 10-01-2008
Arab League chief Amr Mussa continued his tour of Lebanese officials and religious figures Thursday. He met with the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP General Michel Aoun in the afternoon. Mussa is in Lebanon to promote the Arab initiative to solve the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon. In a press conference, the Arab chief described his meeting with Aoun as "very positive." He added that the problem in Lebanon "is very big, because the problem is Lebanon itself... We are in the phase of establishing the definitive consensus."
Before noon, Mussa held a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. He said that the initiative that he's promoting is the Arab initiative and not Bkerki's, adding that he did not hear any objection to it from the opposition. "The defect lies in the fact that you do not appreciate the ability of Lebanon and the Lebanese to reach a solution to the crisis. You must not wait for others to come and solve your problems for you," Mussa told reporters. The Arab chief stressed he was not pessimist and expressed hope that his talks would eventually be fruitful. He also praised both the Patriarch and Speaker Nabih Berri for being positive "as usual." Mussa had earlier met with Army General Michel Suleiman and Mufti Mohamad Rashid Kabbani and said that "the initiative does not need interpretation...Those who seek Lebanon's interest understand it very easily."
The Arab League initiative is based on a three-point plan that calls for the election of army chief General Michel Sleiman, the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of a new electoral law.
The plan is the latest in a string of international proposals to end the stalemate that is threatening the country's stability.
There is speculation that that if Mussa leaves Beirut empty-handed, Saturday's latest parliament session to elect a president would be postponed, possibly until Spring.