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UN envoy calls for 'timely' Lebanon polls
 UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen called Monday for "timely" elections in Lebanon following Syria's troop withdrawal which Damascus has promised to complete in less than four weeks. On the ground, the Syrian pullout continued in what Roed-Larsen termed a "speedy process" while the Lebanese and Syrian army commands agreed on a withdrawal plan for the next phase running from April 7-30. The special envoy held talks with Lebanese leaders on Syria's troop withdrawal under international supervision, a day after Damascus promised its last soldier would be out by the end of this month. Roed-Larsen also insisted on "timely" elections as he started a three-day mission by meeting President Emile Lahoud and Foreign Minister Mahmud Hammoud. The talks focused on the sending of a team of UN experts to verify the full withdrawal of Syrian troops and intelligence assets. "We are discussing now the practical modalities on how to do this," the envoy said. Roed-Larsen said he and Lahoud also agreed on holding elections "in a timely fashion" for the sake of Lebanon's security.Posted by: Fred 2005-04-05 |
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