Salam Avoiding Confrontation between Hizbullah, Rifi over Prison Torture

Prime Minister Tammam Salam is allegedly procrastinating on calling for a cabinet session to avoid a confrontation between the Hizbullah ministers and Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi against the backdrop of the video of the Roumieh prison torture.

Salam has expressed fears that the dispute between them would grow after Rifi, who represents al-Mustaqbal Movement in the cabinet, accused Hizbullah of leaking the video clips showing several prison guards beating Islamist inmates, al-Joumhouria newspaper said Friday.

Cabinet ministers, who visited Salam at the Grand Serail, quoted him as saying that he cannot wait for long to invite for a session.

“It is not my mistake and the mistake of the country for its affairs to be paralyzed if some political parties are bickering over an issue,” Salam told his visitors, according to As Safir daily.

Salam suspended cabinet sessions earlier this month when Free Patriotic Movement ministers warned they will not attend any session that does not have the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials on the top of its agenda.

“What are the political parties waiting for to make up their mind?” he reportedly asked.

The PM is set to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri in the coming days to discuss the deadlock.

Al-Liwaa daily quoted a parliamentary source as saying that Hizbullah Minister Mohammed Fneish told Salam that it would be better for him not to invite for a session before the end of Ramadan.

But Salam's sources denied the claim.

Meanwhile, Berri reiterated to officials who visited him at his residence in Ain el-Tineh that the government crisis has not witnessed any positive developments.

“We can't say that the cabinet will not meet before Eid al-Fitr,” he was quoted as saying by several local newspapers on Friday.

“There are ongoing efforts” to resolve the deadlock and “it's up to Salam to invite for a session but I don't know when,” Berri said.

“He has the authority to call for a session and he will not give up on his powers. And I will not interfere in that issue,” he added.

G.K.

D.A.