Lebanese Speaker Nabi Berri on Wednesday confirmed that elections would start on May 29, and denied media reports about a delay bid for one month. "I assure the Lebanese that the elections will begin by May 29, two days before the constitutional deadline on May 31, when the mandate of the current parliament expires," Berri told lawmakers.
Earlier, the Bush administration has warned against delaying Lebanon's elections beyond the constitutional timeframe of May 31, saying Berri's bid for a one-month postponement could thrust Lebanon into a "dangerous path leading to a constitutional crisis," An Nahar reported on Wednesday.
The people of Lebanon and the entire international community want the elections because this is "the road to Lebanon's peace, wellbeing, prosperity and reactivation of its democratic institutions," An Nahar quoted a senior U.S. official as saying.
