# Unprecedented International and Arab Interest in the Presidential Election

A political source told "Al-Anbaa" electronic newspaper that "the region is heading towards new developments that were not anticipated," noting that "Muqtada al-Sadr's movement in Iraq is not a trivial matter and this will reflect across the entire region. Meanwhile, the countdown for the presidential battle in Lebanon has begun, and Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi has warned against tampering with the presidential election and called for the election of a new president starting from the first of September." The source revealed "unprecedented international and Arab interest in accomplishing the presidential election on time, and that the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, informed them during his visit to Beirut of the Arab League's interest in electing a president."