U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held more talks with Lebanese leaders Friday to urge them to elect a new president in his mission to help break the deadlock over the crucial vote. Ban met with the head of the influential Maronite Catholic Church, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, before heading off to meet with officials of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group. Upon his arrival in the Lebanese capital late Thursday, Ban urged Lebanon's deeply divided politicians to elect a new president with the «broadest possible acceptance» by the public, and to do it on schedule. His visit was the latest attempt by international officials to prod the country's feuding factions to agree on a candidate for the top post and avoid a major political crisis. His visit comes a week before parliament is to convene for another try to elect a president. Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema was scheduled to visit Lebanon Saturday for the same purpose, the Associated Press reported. Parliament is supposed to pick a new president before the term of current President Emile Lahoud ends on Nov. 24.
