LEBANON: SYG BRIEFS ON VISIT TO BEIRUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001046

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC SY IS LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SYG BRIEFS ON VISIT TO BEIRUT


Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay M. Khalilzad, per 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) During a meeting with Amb Khalilzad on November 19
(other issues covered septel),SYG Ban Ki-Moon said that he
had emphasized during his November 15-16 visit to Beirut that
Lebanon must hold presidential elections on time to elect a
candidate "broadly acceptable" to all Lebanese. Ban said he
pressed these points with all of his interlocutors, who
included Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri, Parliamentary Majority leader Sa'ad Hariri, and
Maronite Patriarch Sfeir. Although he acknowledged that he
had not gone as far as the U.S. in describing the potential
for an election by simple majority, Ban argued that he had
shifted the terms of the debate away from demands by Syria
and Hizballah for a "consensus" president. In this regard,
noting that France has been very active in working with the
Maronite Patriarch to propose a list of compromise
presidential candidates, Ban said that UNSCR 1559 Special
Envoy Larsen had stayed in close touch with the French
Ambassador in Beirut during the SYG's visit. Although Berri
denied having the Patriarch's list, the SYG said he knows
that both Berri and Hariri received the list.


2. (C) Ban said that Hariri expressed a preference for a
candidate who would be independent of Syria but acknowledged
that such a candidate could not come from within the March 14
ranks. According to Ban, Hariri told Larsen that he (Hariri)
could live with a candidate acceptable to Syria and Hizballah
as long as the Lebanese opposition supported his bid to
become Prime Minister. Ban said he had also spoken by phone
to Christian leader Michel Aoun, who promised to "show
flexibility" during the presidential election process.
Lastly, Ban reported that he had telephoned Syrian President
Asad to urge him to play a positive role in the Lebanese
elections. Asad, however, reportedly told the SYG that he
had "no influence" over Lebanon's Christians and could
therefore not ensure that they are able to agree on a
compromise presidential candidate.
Khalilzad