UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday (October 31st) welcomed the long-awaited election of a president in Lebanon and said a new government must now be formed without delay, AFP reported.
Ban congratulated Michel Aoun, whose election ended a two-year political vacuum. The UN has repeatedly called on Lebanon's political leaders to elect a president and bolster institutional stability at a time when the war in Syria is rattling the region.
In a statement from his spokesman, the UN chief said he "hopes that Lebanese parties will now continue to work in a spirit of unity and in the national interest".
He "encourages the formation without delay of a government that can effectively serve the needs of all Lebanese citizens and address the serious challenges facing the country", the statement said.
Ban also said parliamentary elections, set for next year, should be held on time.
