Berri Lashes Out at March 14 'Centrists,' Says Contacts Ongoing to Form Cabinet

Speaker Nabih Berri hinted that the ongoing contacts to form a new cabinet have so far failed to reach common ground, criticizing those who began classifying themselves as centrists while they are “clearly affiliated in the March 14 alliance.”

“Those centrists want a large share of the 24-member cabinet... Maybe I should start classifying myself as a centrist,” Berri told several local newspapers on Wednesday.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is seeking to form what he called a “cabinet of national interest” that comprises no MP hopefuls.

Meanwhile, the March 14 forces have been calling for a neutral cabinet, while the March 8 camp has demanded a “political government” and centrist Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has stressed that his bloc will not grant its vote of confidence to a “one-sided cabinet.”

Berri wondered how several senior officials take firm stances against a certain team then categorize themselves as centrists.

The speaker revealed that he will call for consecutive parliamentary sessions on May 15, 16,17 and 18 until the lawmakers agree on an electoral law.

“They have to choices either agree on a consensual electoral law or vote on a draft-law,” Berri said.

He reiterated his stance from the 1960 law, which is based on winner-takes-all system, stressing that he prefers the adoption of the so-called Orthodox Gathering draft-law, as it guarantees holding the polls over the proportional representation system.

The plan, which considers Lebanon a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system, has been approved by the joint parliamentary committees despite the rejection of al-Mustaqbal, the National Struggle Front and the March 14 alliance's independent lawmakers.

While the 1960 law considers the qada an electoral district and is based on the winner-takes-all system. But most parties have rejected it for failing to guarantee the appropriate representation for all the Lebanese and mainly Christians.