ARAB LEAGUE AND GOE ON LEBANESE PRESIDENTIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003427 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017 TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV LE EG SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE AND GOE ON LEBANESE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REF: A. SECSTATE 163945 ¶B. CAIRO 3412 Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone REASONS: 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Ambassador raised with Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa today (December 6) the need for a rapid Lebanese Presidential election. Moussa said he understood the Lebanese were working into the evening on a deal that would allow the election to proceed on December 7. He agreed the election should happen soon and without conditions. However, he said that "Michel Aoun is blocking everything," and that if he were to call Aoun it would only be counter-productive. ¶2. (C) In addition to our discussion with MFA Cabinet Advisor Nazih el Neggary (ref b),we spoke later today with Deputy Assistant Minister for Arab Affairs Ayman Zeineldeen. He reiterated the GOE position that the presidential election should be held as soon as possible, and that there should not be additional conditions imposed on the Lebanese majority. He said that President Mubarak and FM Aboul Gheit had spoken with Lebanese political leaders throughout the week to push this message. Finally, Ambassador urged Presidential Spokesman Soliman Awad (traveling with President Mubarak from Greece to Lisbon) by text-message to issue a statement in support of a rapid election. RICCIARDONE