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Damascus: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mua'alem criticised yesterday the United States in the Lebanese presidential crisis, accusing it of allegedly blocking Syrian and French efforts to end the deadlock that has paralysed Lebanon.
The remarks by Mua'alem followed a visit to Lebanon by US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch, who this week accused Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition of obstructing the vote for the country's top post.
Mua'alem's comments reflected consistent Damascus support for the Hezbollah-led opposition in the neighbouring country.
The Syrian official, speaking to reporters in Damascus, also expressed regret over what he described as failure of the French mediators in Leb-anon to distance themselves from the American stand.
Lebanon has been without a president since Nov-ember 23, when Emile Lahoud stepped down without a successor.
The sharply divided Leb-anese parliament is expected again - for the tenth time - to try on Saturday to elect a president, but prospects are unlikely because of a lack of agreement between rival groups.
Consensus candidate
The latest crisis follows a yearlong political struggle between anti-Syrian politicians who support US-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and hold a slim majority in parliament, and the opposition, led by Hezbollah, which has strong ties to Iran and Syria.
Mua'alem said Syria and France, whose foreign minister has been mediating among the Lebanese, both support the choice for Army Commander Michel Sulaiman as a consensus presidential candidate the rival sides agreed on.
He claimed Damascus and Paris had also agreed that Saleiman's election in parliament should be followed by the formation of a national unity government.
Mua'alem said Welch's comments earlier in the week in Beirut "confirm that America does not support consensus and instead wants there to be a conqueror and vanquished in Lebanon." Mua'alem also dismissed Welch's accusations that Syria was the one blocking the Lebanese presidential election. "This is nonsense, he knows exactly who is blocking the election," he said of Welch.
"We in Syria want there to be elections in Lebanon at the earliest time possible," Mua'alem added.
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