Qatar Emir opens talks, adjourns meeting to Saturday

Source: Al-Manar, 17-05-2008
Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders assuring them that "the task ahead of you is a great and difficult one". The Emir then adjourned the meeting until the first round of talks proper on Saturday at 0730 GMT (10:30 am).
Qatar invited the Lebanese loyalty and opposition leaders to Doha for talks after Arab mediators reached a deal to end the Lebanese crisis that has paralyzed government for 18 months and left Lebanon without a president since November.
"We hope that we will finish what we have started. I'm optimistic," said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. After the session was opened by Sheikh Hamad's address, substantive talks will begin on Saturday.
Lebanon's feuding leaders are expected to agree on forming a national unity government and endorsing a new electoral law for next year's elections. Both sides have already agreed on Army Commander General Michel Suleiman as a consensus candidate to head the state. These were in fact the three points of the Arab initiative that the ruling bloc had sought to implement one point at a time.