BEIRUT: The United Nations warned Tuesday that Lebanon could be dragged into the bloody conflict in Syria, as rival Lebanese politicians struggled to agree on a new electoral law for the June 9 elections.

Beirut MP Ammar Houri said his Future Movement has been engaged in talks with the Progressive Socialist Party in an attempt to reach common ground on a hybrid vote system to break the monthslong stalemate over a new electoral law. “Discussions between the Future Movement and the PSP are ongoing on a hybrid vote formula to break the deadlock over a new electoral law,” Houri told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, the United Nations expressed renewed concern that Lebanon could be drawn into Syria’s worsening 2-year-old civil war, which the world body said had developed sectarian overtones and been aggravated by foreign fighters and extremist groups. U.N. political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman painted what he called an “appalling picture” of the conflict that began as peaceful protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad and turned violent when government forces tried to crush the demonstrations. [Link]