Berri Frustrated over Extension Vote Stances amid Christian Split

Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated that quorum is secured in this week's parliamentary session to extend the legislature's term but he expressed resentment at some accusations that he was the sole person backing such an extension.

Berri told his visitors on Sunday that quorum is guaranteed for Wednesday's session which is aimed at discussing two draft-laws that call for a technical extension through the suspension of an electoral law deadline for a limited period and a long-term extension of the legislature’s mandate.

But the speaker, whose remarks were published on Monday, said he was waiting for the stance of Christian parliamentary blocs to see whether they would exercise constitutional partnership.

Berri warned that the session would undermine this partnership unless key Christian blocs participated in the vote.

He also expressed regret that some MPs, who had personally informed him that they would attend the session, have reneged on their decisions.

“Some sides are trying to hint in an ironic way that I am the only person who wants to extend the parliament's mandate. But the people and public opinion are now aware of the whole truth,” Berri told his visitors.

Asked about the vacuum at Baabda Palace, the speaker, who also heads Amal Movement, said: “There is nothing new in that regard. And by the way, Hizbullah is not paralyzing the presidential elections.”

“The party has only 12 lawmakers at a time when the boycott is caused by lack of Christian consensus,” he added.

The country's top Christian post has been vacant since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May.

Differences between the rival lawmakers on a compromise candidate caused a vacuum at the presidential palace after they failed in more than dozen rounds of parliamentary sessions to elect a new head of state.

Last year, parliament extended its term until November 2014 after the MPs failed to agree on a new law and claimed the security situation did not guarantee violence-free elections.

A similar extension is set to take place on Wednesday to avoid a further vacuum.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who is a Free Patriotic Movement official, told As Safir daily that the Change and Reform bloc's rejection of the extension is aimed at pressing MPs to hold the parliamentary polls.

An MP from the bloc also told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the decision on boycotting Wednesday's session was not final.

Some Change and Reform members are calling for a boycott while others want to attend the session and vote against the extension, said the MP.

The Kataeb party's politburo, meanwhile, is scheduled to meet on Tuesday instead of Monday to decide their final stance from the session.

Kataeb sources told An Nahar that the MPs were divided on whether to attend the session and have their say against the extension or to boycott it altogether.

But the Lebanese Forces MPs are likely to vote for the extension.

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