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| Michael Williams: Little Tangible Shift in Politicians Positions Naharnet Newsdesk Friday, August 31, 2007 United Nations Middle East envoy Michael Williams told the Security Council that little progress had been achieved in the political deadlock that had gripped Lebanon since last November. Williams, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, was "guardedly optimistic" in his speech about prospects for peace in the long-troubled region. The U.N. Envoy was briefing the council on his visit to the region days ago. Williams said that International initiatives to facilitate Lebanese dialogue and to address the causes behind the stalemate also continued, but there had been little tangible shift in the positions of the parties. Attention was now turning to upcoming presidential elections, he said, and the Secretary-General hoped that the Lebanese people found their way to consensus on that critical issue. The Secretary-General supported the clear desire of the Lebanese people to hold presidential elections as stipulated in their Constitution, an outcome that would help achieve a breakthrough in the country's political impasse. He went on to say that, in southern Lebanon, despite a welcome reduction in the number of mine and unexploded ordnance-related incidents over recent months, tragedies continued, including, among others, the killing of a non-governmental organization staff member while he was clearing a cluster-bomb site just last week. While the United Nations continued its demining activities on the ground, the provision of the necessary cluster munitions strike data would greatly facilitate the rate of clearance operations and more quickly reduce the present threat to civilians. He turned to the situation in Lebanon and the political deadlock that had gripped that country since last November. http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/newsdesk.nsf/0/3F7509AFD240BAF6C2257348003DB8EB?OpenDocument |
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