Berri: Majority Doesn’t Know How to Govern, Opposition Doesn’t Know How to Oppose

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the ruling majority and the March 14 opposition’s approach on different developments in Lebanon, accusing them of failing to accommodate to the new balance of power in the country.

He explained: “The majority does not know how to govern and the opposition does not know how to oppose rule.”

“The government appears to be a mix of majority and opposition forces, while the March 14 camp appears to a mix of the two as well,” he told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Tuesday.

“The two sides are simply required to perform their duties, nothing more nothing less, and that way the situation in the country can be rectified,” he noted.

The speaker accused the March 14 forces of seeking to impose its agenda on the government, especially regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

“It seems as if the camp has ignored the fact that the balance in power has changed and it is no longer in power,” Berri added.

Furthermore, he said: “Those linking their internal political strategy on the developments in Syria and the toppling of its regime will find out sooner or later that they will have to wait a long time.”

He also slammed the March 14 camp over their criticism of the speaker for allegedly refraining from addressing the STL during his speech from Baalbek last week, to which Berri responded: “I was the first to propose the formation of a court comprised of Lebanese, Arab, and international judges.”

“If they are really keen on the tribunal and the truth in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, then why don’t they participate in the national dialogue once again in order to reach an agreement with all sides over this issue?” he asked.

“To those who believe that the dialogue is not concerned with tackling the STL, then I would like to turn their attention to the fact that the dialogue was unanimously agreed upon by all political powers before the tribunal was altered in a manner that violated the constitution,” Berri stressed.

In addition, he condemned the debate over whether the government would agree to funding the tribunal or not, saying that more immediate matters need to be addressed, such as the electricity file and drilling for oil in Lebanon’s offshore fields.

“It’s unfortunate that the Israeli enemy is employing its military arsenal to defend what it wrongfully claims is its petroleum wealth while we are recklessly dealing with a matter that is rightfully ours,” remarked the speaker.