Berri on Upcoming Dialogue: It is a Real Chance to 'Lebanonize' Presidency
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday the importance of dialogue to resolve pending disputes in Lebanon, saying that the presidential elections and a parliamentary electoral law are the primary issues that need to be discussed.
On his call for dialogue, he said: “It is a real chance to 'Lebanonize' internal affairs, especially the presidency.”
The dialogue may yield “zero or a hundred results,” he said during his weekly meeting with lawmakers at Ain el-Tineh.
The speaker recently called on parliamentary blocs to dialogue, which will kick off on September 9 and will be attended by more than 17 politicians, in addition to Prime Minister Tammam Salam.
Earlier, Berri defended Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq against demonstrators calling for his resignation, saying he is not corrupt.
According to As Safir daily published on Wednesday, Berri told his visitors that “al-Mashnouq is clean and is not corrupt.”
“Calls for his resignation are out of place,” said the speaker, describing al-Mashnouq's decision to suspend his participation in the ministerial committee tasked with resolving the waste crisis as a “bold move.”
Protesters are demanding al-Mashnouq's resignation over his failure to resolve the garbage crisis that erupted last month when the Naameh landfill was closed.
Following three huge protests over the past two weeks, the main group behind the protests known as "You Stink" gave the government a Tuesday deadline to begin responding to its demands, starting with the resignation of the environment minister.
He refused, resigning instead from the ministerial committee.
On Tuesday, a group of about 30 protesters from "You Stink" stormed the ministry. But security forces ejected the protesters, raising more tension over their campaign against the uncollected garbage and the stagnant political class.
Berri denied to his visitors that his call for dialogue among the leaders of parliamentary blocs came as a result of the anti-government protests.
“When someone sees dark clouds on the horizon, he could expect rain which either brings with it mud or good news,” said Berri, adding he called for the talks because he only forecasted mud.
G.K./M.T.
02 September 2015, 08:09
126
Speaker Nabih Berri has defended Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq against demonstrators calling for his resignation, saying he is not corrupt.
but you are!
02 September 2015, 09:26
115
Ask Berri about the corruption of the Caporal and within his gang
02 September 2015, 12:24
64
mowaten, I'm not a big poster here but I have been using this site for over 30 years and recently I have been liking your posts , your the only one informing these deluded ignorants. :)
02 September 2015, 13:59
33
25 minutes ago Al-Jadeed: The army arrested a man in Hermel for smuggling arms from Syria and carrying a license plate belonging to an MP.
an example of corruption.
02 September 2015, 20:31
12
True Mowaten, they should all resign, hence from there hezbollah must lay off its paws on the system thank you.
02 September 2015, 08:24
114
What they don't get is that we know they are ALL corrupt, no exception.
02 September 2015, 08:24
73
That's false information. It's related only to Mashnouq.
Why would Berri want to exonerate Mashnouq anyways?
02 September 2015, 08:28
53
milk is not white
chocolate is not black
orange is the new yellow
02 September 2015, 08:29
03
This has got to be a joke, feels like an article from the Onion.
02 September 2015, 08:31
52
what do you think is going to happen when the march 8th crowd all go to iran to fill their pockets with cash, and their mouth with words from the iranians , not once but 8 times a year?
02 September 2015, 08:47
15
he is not corrupt, I am not corrupt, no one is corrupt. Lebanon is all good.. do we have an issue in Lebanon, I am not aware..... THEY MUST ALL GO
02 September 2015, 08:49
15
What the politicians do not understand is that they get paid by the people to serve the people. Unfortunately corruption and greed became the norm for them... It is time to get rude of them - all of them!!! We have plenty of qualified people in Lebanon and abroad who are very capable in making our fantastic country a model in the region if not the globe.
02 September 2015, 11:58
95
You must be really kidding....he has received millions in 1989-1990 which he took for HIMSELF and put it in an account under his wife's name.
From 2006 till today he has received multimillions from outside. This is why he says nothing to imbassil (>700 000 000 $...just look at his luxury californian villa), then Simon with a huge villa in Ehmej and every single person of the gang...ALL OF THEM are immensely corrupt.
it is your problem if you cannot see facts.
02 September 2015, 12:12
64
he received private funding to his name, his supporters trust him with it and it's their choice, he is free to use that money any way he want. it's not the same as embezzling public funds and getting the country in debt by tens of billions to fill your own pocket.
02 September 2015, 15:36
20
of course it was, and it was certainly not public funding he took. check your facts and get back to me if you want.
02 September 2015, 16:05
10
No Sir! The money was given to liberate Lebanon ...he took with him 15 millions $ to France and put the rest in his wife's account.
Why trying to hide it in his wife's account?
Why spending it on himself?
You can keep trying to defend this traitor as much as you like because he is a dog to your party.
For us Christians he is the greatest traitor ever.
02 September 2015, 15:39
01
Stupid, just stupid. What can the "parliamentary blocs" accomplish by talking to each other. All of them have sold their right to independent action to foreign actors, either to the Iranians or to the Emirates or to KSA or to the USA. What can any of them do without getting on their phones and first asking permission if they can take action required of their elected offices in the now non-existent Lebanese Government??
This political class is politically bankrupt. They have no power to do anything. It is up to the Lebanese people to recover their state from the mortgagees of the state. Hopefully they can.
02 September 2015, 15:58
12
More and more Christians are leaving the traitor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HV_ydjwgg0
02 September 2015, 20:34
11
Mr. Berri, Al Diyarr, who is the mafioso who asked that Italian company $300M as a cut before signing papers for it to drill our gas? Then who is that second person who wanted 10% of the income? Then why did this company leave Lebanon and now is preparing to drill Egypt's gas? You have the answers ya Ali Baba, then leave the seat, since you took it, 3 Popes, 3 Lebanese presidents, and the internet came to Lebanon, how many years do that make in all? Leave, enough lies, enough theft. Yalla, errrrr7al !~!!
03 September 2015, 06:37
10
Impossible to Lebanonize the Presidency when the electing officials work for Iran and Syria.
03 September 2015, 12:25
00
Lebonize it is not a proper English word ;) to begin with. In order to Make the president made in Lebanon you need to break the cycle and start with fresh Lebanese ingredients with no imported elements. Obviously the Lebanese political chefs have never cooked a Lebanese presidential election in years. Well come to the Lebanese hells kitchen.
