Report: European States Seeking Solution to Presidential Crisis

Discussions are underway in European countries to find a solution to Lebanon's presidential deadlock by proposing the name of a security official who receives consensus, Western diplomatic sources in Beirut said Sunday.

The sources told the Saudi Okaz daily that the official should receive the support of Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement.

If the negotiations succeed, then they would lead to the election of a new president and resolve the remaining political problems that Lebanon is suffering from, they said.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May last year.

The vacuum left the parliament paralyzed and led to huge disputes among cabinet members.

Okaz's report came amid efforts exerted by Speaker Nabih Berri to bring the rival parties together.

He chaired the first national dialogue session on Wednesday. The next round of talks are scheduled for next week.

The presidential crisis tops the agenda of the all-party talks, which Berri said are aimed at Lebanonizing the solutions for Lebanon's crises.