Al-Rahi calls for 'UN-sponsored conference' to resolve Lebanese conflict

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has called for a special conference under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the disagreement between the Lebanese parties.

"As long as the officials are not ready to sit together to resolve their disagreements, I have called for a special conference," al-Rahi told LBCI.

He added that it is not possible to agree on a person. "The agreement can only be reached by voting and holding consultations."

"they remembered to have a dialogue when we reached the vacuum, they'd rather go to parliament and vote," he said.

Meanwhile al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday that al-Rahi had pressed in the past two weeks the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement leaders to reach an inter-Christian agreement that would facilitate the agreement with the rest of the Lebanese parties on a new president.

The daily said that al-Rahi also discussed with Amal and Hezbollah the presidential issue. The Shiite Duo told him that a confrontational candidate would obstruct the election and that Amal and Hezbollah would support a Christian consensus on a presidential candidate, al-Akhbar said.