Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora has launched a fresh initiative that aims to get Lebanon out of its political impasse, local daily An Nahar reported on Wednesday.

Seniora announced the initiative during talks with Saudi Ambassador Abdul Aziz Khoja at the government headquarters in Beirut on Tuesday, An Nahar said in a front-page article.

The proposal, which came following Seniora's meetings in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, aimed at ending the vicious circle over the formation of a new government, said the report.

Seniora said any exit to the ongoing crisis would be creation of a "national unity government based on political consensus ... after that, there shall be no problem as to the number (of cabinet ministers) issue."

The pro-government camp has adamantly rejected the opposition demand which has been insisting on a 19+11 formula that would give the latter veto power in a national unity cabinet.

On the other hand, the Hezbollah-led opposition has bluntly snubbed the ruling majority demand for a 19+10+1 formula which would strip the anti-government camp of veto power.

The 19+11 and the 19+10+1 are reference to the number of ministers for each camp in a new cabinet.

Lebanon's political dispute has lasted for about five months in which politicians traded insults and their supporters clashed in the streets.

The disputes of the two rival political blocs concentrated on two main issues, namely the opposition's demand for a veto in the government and the majority's demand for the ratification of the international tribunal on former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's murder.

Source: Xinhua