[After 16 months of the office of President being vacant in Lebanon, it seems unimaginable that this nation will rebound to become one of the most prosperous nations on earth. These political problems are only temporary.]

April 18, 2008
By Hussein Abdallah

BEIRUT: US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch called on rival Lebanese parties Thursday to head to Parliament and elect a new president, adding that the perfect place for holding national dialogue was Parliament itself. "There are state institutions in which dialogue can be held," Welch told reporters after meeting Premier Fouad Siniora

"Dialogue would be possible whenever the Parliament opens its doors and a new president is elected," he added.