( dpa ) - Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa arrived Wednesday in Beirut for a second round of talks with rival Lebanese rival to try to end the political stalemate in the country.
Mussa stressed upon arrival that he was "hopeful."
Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian head of state Emile Lahoud stepped down on November 23 with no elected successor.
Mussa is trying to prod feuding politicians to agree to the Arab initiative that calls for the election of army chief General Michel Suleiman as president.
The plan also calls for the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of a new electoral law.
Parliament is due to meet on January 21 for a presidential vote but 12 previous sessions have been cancelled and it is widely believe that the upcoming session will meet the same fate.
Although the ruling coalition has given the Arab plan its full backing, Hezbollah is insisting the opposition be granted a third of the seats in a new government so as to have a veto over key decisions.
Both Damascus and Tehran have voiced backing for the Arab plan with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying on Wednesday: "We appreciate the efforts exerted by the Arab League and we consider it to be a good base to solve the Lebanese problems."
Lebanon was struck on Tuesday by a deadly bomb which targeted a US embassy car in Beirut, killing three people and wounding 20 others.
Lebanese media described the attack as meant to torpedo efforts by the Arab League to end Lebanon's political stalemate.
"The bombing targeted a vehicle from the US embassy or the convoy of the Arab solution?" the pro-opposition As-Safir questioned, referring to an Arab League plan to end the crisis between the country's Western-backed government and Hezbollah.
Mussa is due to visit Syria on Friday.