In a joint interview with both dailies An-Nahar and al-Hayat on Saturday, Feltman said: "The election's outcome will naturally affect world's stance towards the new Lebanese government and the manner in which the United States and Congress deal with Lebanon."

"I believe the Lebanese are smart enough to understand that there will be an effect. When Hezbollah claims that there won't be any effect, when it claims that it is not interested in the matter, I tend to believe that the Lebanese with their intelligence would think otherwise," Feltman said.

He went on to indirectly criticizing Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun saying: "one of your politicians is proposing that Christians shouldn't depend on the United States. I hope the Lebanese had accurately listened to president's [Barack Obama] speech that specifically pointed to the widest Christian religious minority in Lebanon, the Maronites. The president spoke about the need for respecting all peoples in the region including minorities…I hope the Lebanese would ask themselves: do we want to be on the side of the international community and close to the stances that president Obama made? I hope they would say yes."

Feltman added that president Obama's speech received wide regional and international support, hoping that the Lebanese would take seriously "and be part of the president's proposed partnership that was welcomed by the world."

The U.S. official added that the role of President Michel Suleiman is important symbolically and constitutionally "due to the fact that Suleiman was elected to office by consensus. We hold great respect to the president and the office of the Lebanese presidency as an institution; we strongly appreciate his leading role."

Feltman said that Lebanon has benefited greatly from international support resulting from the role played by the Lebanese in 2005. "We expect the elections to take place, the formation of a new government that would adopt a number of resolutions according to the constitution by peaceful means according to the Lebanese people wish," he said.
He added that the United States is working for regional peace, saying his country is committed to peace in the Middle East

"President Obama's speech [in Cairo] rejected violence as means for achieving political goals this is a message that I hope Lebanese voters would take into consideration when they head to the polls on Sunday," Feltman said.

"We want this election to take place in peace with no threats or violence. In the past years the U.S.Congress has affirmed its support to Lebanon's sovereignty and democratic aspirations…my hope is that this election would allow the process of democracy to continue and flourish," U.S. Congressional Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Howard Berman said.

U.S. House of Representatives Nick Rahall (Democrat-West Virginia), issued a statement in which he reiterated his stance in supporting a free, sovereign and independent Lebanon, removed from any foreign intervention. He added that he looks forward to an honest and transparent election