Berri Says he Reached Deal with Miqati on Controversial Session
Speaker Nabih Berri has rejected throwing the ball in his court over the crisis on the constitutionality of a parliamentary session, saying he had reached an agreement with caretaker Premier Najib Miqati to resolve the problem.
In remarks to An Nahar newspaper published Sunday, Berri said it was wrong to throw the ball in his court after reports emerged that President Michel Suleiman and Miqati had reached a deal and were waiting for his approval.
Berri stressed that a meeting he held with Suleiman and Miqati earlier in the week “led to an understanding in which each one of us expressed his point of view.”
But the speaker did not reveal its details. He only denied he had a problem with the president.
The solution to the three-day parliamentary session scheduled to take place on July 16 comes through “the quick formation of the government to avoid the current dispute on its constitutionality,” he told An Nahar.
Berri had called for the session last week, but the March 14 alliance's parliamentary blocs and the Change and Reform bloc of MP Michel Aoun boycotted it, preventing the required quorum.
Miqati also informed Berri that he would not attend the session for claiming that there was an imbalance between the parliament and the caretaking cabinet.
But the speaker stressed that the session was constitutional.
He told An Nahar that he was also holding onto its agenda, which includes several draft-laws, including the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji's mandate.
Miqati and March 14 argue that the parliament can meet to take important decisions such as Qahwaji's term extension amid a resigned cabinet. But that the other draft-laws on the agenda are unnecessary.
Berri said: “The problem does not lie in finding solutions to the legislative session. But in the agenda.”
“I can confirm that as soon as all political blocs agree on the agenda's articles, I am ready to go ahead with the deal,” he said.
“Let them first agree and the rest is on me,” Berri added.
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