The United States congratulates the Lebanese people for carrying out a
peaceful national election yesterday, a critical step towards Lebanon’s rightful
achievement of true independence and sovereignty. We will continue to support a
sovereign and independent Lebanon.
We commend the Lebanese voters who turned out in impressive numbers on
election day. We also congratulate the Lebanese authorities, including the armed
forces and police, who assured the security necessary for voters to exercise
their rights. In addition, several observer missions from the United States and
elsewhere observed the elections, including the National Democratic Institute
and the Carter Center. Their initial reports indicate the elections were carried
out fairly.
With the voting over, the process of forming a government and developing a
government program now begins. That is a process for Lebanese to carry out, in
accordance with the election results and without outside interference. We look
forward to working with the next government and hope it will continue along the
path toward building a sovereign and stable Lebanon that is committed to peace,
including full implementation of all United Nations Security Council
resolutions.
