Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has hailed the election of Barack Obama as next U.S. president, urging him to push forward Middle East peace process, local Daily Star reported Thursday.

"The new president should start by resolving the Middle East crisis," Berri was quoted as saying in a statement.

The Lebanese Shiite top legislator described the election of Obama as a demonstration that the U.S. is "a wonderful democracy," calling on the U.S. president-elect to take "the right decision" with regard to the Middle East policies.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Sunni 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."

Nawaf Moussawi, head of the international relations of Shiite group Hezbollah also welcomed Obama's victory, saying that "change will definitely come" in the U.S. policy.

However, some analysts held that some Lebanese pro-government supporters seem not to be content about the results of the U.S. election because they believe that the Republicans who have lost in the election were their "strong ally," according to the Daily Star.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2008)