Berri: Electing President Must be a Priority, Taef Needs to be Implemented Not Manipulated
Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday stressed that putting an end to the presidential void must be a “priority,” noting that the Taef Accord should be “implemented” rather than “manipulated.”
“The election of a new president should be a priority because the confidence of citizens and the world in Lebanon would erode should we continue our failure to elect a president,” said Berri in a televised speech marking the 36th anniversary of the disappearance of revered Shiite cleric Imam Moussa al-Sadr, the founder of the AMAL Movement that the speaker heads.
“A new chapter can start with the election of a new president ... The election of a president would open the door to parliamentary elections and launch a political process that is needed in the confrontation against the transnational terrorism,” Berri added.
He called on the Lebanese to close ranks in order to “put an end to strife and divisions.”
“Now is the time to transit to a real state and to devise a roadmap to implement the Taef Accord instead of manipulating it. It's time to stop the policy of paralyzing the state by a certain institution at the expense of another institution,” the speaker added.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May due to the sharp political rift between the rival March 8 and March 14 camps.
The March 14 alliance has endorsed Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea as its candidate while Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun -- who has not officially nominated himself -- has repeatedly said that he would run in the elections as a "consensual candidate."
Recently, Aoun's Change and Reform parliamentary bloc submitted a controversial draft law proposing the election of a president directly by the people as a way out of the deadlock.
Berri noted that diversity and national unity are a “necessity” in order to confront terrorism, “the same as they were a weapon in the confrontation against the Israeli aggression.”
“The fight against terrorism needs national mobilization and a culture combating fanaticism and terrorism,” he said.
“Confronting terrorism is not the responsibility of Sunnis, confronting aggression is not the responsibility of Shiites and confronting the displacement of minorities is not the responsibility of Christians. Everyone must shoulder the responsibility," Berri urged.
He slammed what he called the "horrible international silence in the face of terrorism," warning that "it will lead to tragedies."
"Terrorism is threatening Lebanon, the Gulf, Jordan and Syria and the movement of militants and arms through some countries' airports must stop," Berri underlined.
He said resolutions are needed to support the sovereignty of some countries and their people and territorial integrity.
"The weapons of the Lebanese army must be boosted through the first Saudi donation and the second one must be utilized in order to give the army modern arms," Berri added.
"Lebanon is bigger than any plot and there is no need to fear for it," he reassured.
Saudi Arabia has recently pledged $1 billion in military assistance to the poorly-equipped Lebanese army after it fought a deadly battle against jihadist militants in and around the Bekaa border town of Arsal in early August.
On al-Sadr's case, Berri said a Lebanese ambassador was delegated to Libya following the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi's regime but stressed that "there won't be any normalization with Libya before it cooperates with us in the case."
"We call on the media to closely follow up on the case and we stress that this is an Arab, Islamic and humanitarian issue. There is no room for private interests or bargaining," Berri said.
He pointed out that a memorandum of understanding was signed with Libya and "it most importantly contained the Libyan side's acknowledgement that the abduction crime took place in Libya and that the story of traveling to Italy is a fabrication."
“The MoU also contained a Libyan pledge to open the doors of cooperation and take all measures needed to inspect likely locations” where al-Sadr or his remains could be present, the speaker said.
“But unfortunately the situation collapsed in Libya,” he lamented.
“We mulled alternative plans and we won't stand idly by,” Berri vowed, noting that Lebanon's Judicial Council is also still looking into “parts of the case.”
He said that a personal lawsuit has been filed “against new defendants belonging to the Gadhafi regime.”
In 1978, al-Sadr was invited to Tripoli by Gadhafi and was trying to negotiate an end to the Lebanese 1975-1990 civil war.
But his visit to Tripoli along with two aides took a sour turn after he got into a heated argument with Gadhafi who ordered that the three men be "taken away," according to an indictment against the slain Libyan leader issued by Lebanese authorities.
Gadhafi’s regime had stated that the three left Tripoli for Italy, which after conducting an investigation into the case denied the claims.
In 2004, the passports of Sadr and his companion Sheikh Mohammed Yacoub were found in a hotel in Rome.
In August 2008, Lebanon issued arrest warrants against Gadhafi and some of his aides, accusing them of kidnapping Sadr and his companions.
Y.R.
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