Berri from Brussels: We Reject Naturalization of Refugees, Govt. Will Stay
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed Tuesday that Lebanon rejects any naturalization of Syrian or Palestinian refugees in the country and reassured that Prime Minister Tammam Salam's government is not facing an imminent resignation or collapse.
“With all due honesty and in line with our Constitution, Lebanon will not accept the naturalization of anyone, not even of Arab brothers,” Berri said in a speech before the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee in Brussels.
The speaker also held talks on Tuesday with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders and attended a session held by the Belgian parliament's foreign affairs committee.
“This is not the first time that Lebanon's governments witness resignations and I don't believe that the government will stop functioning due to this resignation,” said Berri when asked by Belgian legislators about justice minister Ashraf Rifi's resignation.
“The government will stay and this issue will not affect it,” Berri stressed, noting that the government “has managed to take a unified stance on a sensitive issue,” in reference to the statement it issued in the wake of Saudi Arabia's decision to halt military aid to Lebanon.
Rifi, a fierce opponent of Hizbullah, said Sunday he was resigning over what he called the group's "domination" of the government.
Rifi's decision came two days after Saudi Arabia announced it was suspending $4 billion in aid to Lebanon's army and security forces in protest over "hostile" positions it said were inspired by Hizbullah.
His resignation statement also cited alleged Hizbullah interference in the case of Lebanon's former information minister Michel Samaha, who is facing charges of having planned "terrorist" acts in collaboration with Syrian officials.
Rifi accused Hizbullah of blocking his efforts to transfer the case against Samaha, a former close confidante of Damascus, to Lebanon's highest court, the Judicial Council. Samaha is currently free on bail as he faces a retrial.
Y.R.
