Beirut - Lebabon's Shiite House speaker Nabih Berri, who is also close to the radical Shiite Hezbollah, hailed Thursday the election of Barack Obama as the next US president, urging him to push forward Middle East peace process. "The new president should start by resolving the Middle East crisis," Berri was quoted as saying in a statement.
The Lebanese official described the election of Obama as a demonstration that the US is "a wonderful democracy," calling on the Obama to make "the right decision" with regard to the Middle East policies.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Fouad Seniora told reporters that Obama's victory was "good."
Sunni majority leader Saad Hariri also sent a letter of congratulations to Obama, saying "the people of the world who look forward to peace and security will find in you a partner to help them achieve their dream in a life free of poverty and fear."
Meanwhile Nawaf Moussawi, head of the international relations of Shiite group Hezbollah also welcomed Obama's victory, saying that "change will definitely come" in US policy.
