Berri, Jumblat accuse Christians of obstructing presidential solution

After his dialogue initiative failed, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he no longer has anything to say.

"The presidential problem is between the Maronites," Berri charged, in remarks published Thursday in al-Joumhouria newspaper.

Berri's old friend, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, took his side, accusing the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement of obstructing "the opportunity."

"Berri did his best," Jumblat said Wednesday. "But now, unfortunately, there is no breakthrough in the presidential impasse."

Later on Wednesday, the Lebanese Forces responded in a statement that Hezbollah and Amal are the ones who obstructed the election of a president, by leaving every session before the second round of voting, clinging to their candidate and refusing a third-man solution proposed by France and later by Qatar.