UNITED NATIONS, May 12 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned on Monday those behind an upsurge of violence in Lebanon and called on all parties to resume talks to find a way out of a political crisis.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns those responsible for the violence in Lebanon over the last week and urges calm and restraint and an immediate stop to the violence," said a statement issued by Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas.

"He calls on all parties to resume the national dialogue."

The statement did not name any parties but the upheaval began when the anti-government Shi'ite Hezbollah group and its allies overran the strongholds of their Sunni political foes in Beirut last week.

Ban said Lebanon needed a political process that would result in the long-delayed election of a president.

He expressed solidarity with the people and government of Lebanon "and other legitimate Lebanese institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces," and backed an Arab League initiative aimed at finding a solution.

(Reporting by Patrick Worsnip, Editing by Sandra Maler)

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