Berri Says Meeting with Hariri 'Fruitful', Talks Focused on Presidential Stalemate

Speaker Nabih Berri lauded on Sunday a meeting held with al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri, describing talks as “fruitful.”

“We discussed endeavors to safeguard the country and the election of a new head of state,” Berri said in comments published in al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

Lebanon has been living in a presidential vacuum since May when the tenure of Michel Suleiman ended. The conflict between the March 8 and March 14 camps has thwarted all efforts to reach a quorum at parliament to hold elections and end the vacuum.

He also revealed that the two officials highlighted the cabinet's mechanism in light of the ongoing vacuum in the presidency.

Political disputes between the various political factions on the government's mechanism led to the suspension of sessions in light of the vacuum at the top presidential post.

Hariri had stressed in a speech on Thursday from the Center House in front of the Arab ambassadors accredited to Lebanon, that the “government will resume its activity soon in light of the contacts that I had with Prime Minister Tammam Salam.”

“We agreed that any decision should be according to the constitution,” Berri pointed out.

“I leave it to Hariri to reveal any further details regarding other issues... I adopt whatever he announces beforehand,” the speaker added.

On Friday, Berri held a banquet in honor of Hariri in Ain al-Tineh in the presence of Mustaqbal chief's adviser Nader Hariri and the speaker's political aide Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil.