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Ban encourages Lebanese to continue efforts to form unity government

Ban encourages Lebanese to continue efforts to form unity government

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri of Lebanon.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has encouraged all parties in Lebanon to continue their efforts to form a national unity government, after the Prime-Minister designate announced today that he is abandoning efforts in this regard after more than 10 weeks of trying.

“The Secretary-General regrets that at the moment it has proven impossible to form a new government in Lebanon,” UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

“He hopes that the consultations that President Michel Sleiman will hold with all parties will be successful and that the Lebanese continue working towards the goal of a unity government.”

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri reportedly announced that that he is abandoning his attempt to form a government, after trying unsuccessfully to get all sides to agree on a cabinet.

Ms. Okabe added that the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, will continue to talk to all of the parties and encourage them to work in this direction.

Earlier this week Mr. Williams voiced his concern that no agreement has been reached on the formation of a government, more than 10 weeks after the designation of Mr. Hariri as Prime Minister-designate.

The Special Coordinator went over the process of forming a new government with Mr. Hariri when the two met last week, and had said he hoped this would happen soon in light of the many social, economic and security challenges the government will have to face once it is formed.