Berri Says Ready to Host Dialogue between Yemen Rivals
Speaker Nabih Berri expressed readiness on Sunday to sponsor dialogue between the sides involved in the conflict in Yemen, hailing Iran's wit during the nuclear deal with world powers.
“All sides expressed readiness to engage in dialogue, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Huthis and all involved sides... then what are we waiting for,” Berri's visitors quoted him as saying in comments published in the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.
He called on Oman to host the dialogue, pointing out that he is “ready to organize the talks in Beirut similarly to the dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement.”
Saudi Arabia aims to defeat the Huthi rebels who seized power in the capital Sanaa in February, as Riyadh feared they would take over the entire country and shift it into the orbit of Shiite Iran, Sunni Saudi's regional rival.
Riyadh has formed the largest-ever coalition of Sunni Arab countries to fight the Huthis, bringing together most of the Gulf monarchies, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan and Egypt.
The speaker also expressed relief over the dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal, stressing that the talks only focus on the importance of defusing tension between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon and the presidential elections.
Dialogue between the two parties had kicked off on December 23, 2014.
The head of the AMAL Movement pointed out that he favors the appointment of new top civil servants in state posts instead of extending the term of current personnel.
However, Berri told his visitors that he “rejects more vacuum at state posts if the rivals couldn't agree on consensual candidates.”
The tenure of Army chief General Jean Qahwaji is set to end in September. His term was extended for two years in September 2013.
The military positions in Lebanon are suffering as a result of the months-long presidential vacuum in light of the parliament's failure to elect a successor for Michel Suleiman. The vacuum also threatens the position of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous who is set to retire in June.
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