Report: Berri States Lebanon Approaching the Abyss

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed fears that the country is approaching the “verge of the abyss” if the deadlock in Lebanon’s political work prolongs and a vacuum at the presidential post lingers, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Sunday.

“The country can no longer tolerate. What do I do to make everyone believe that we are in danger and approaching the abyss?” Berri told the daily.

He assured that he has kicked off efforts to solve the presidential issue and that he will not stop.

“I have informed the parties to the dialogue table of the possibility of electing a president before the end of the year,” he pointed out.

Sounding an alarm, Berri said: “We are crazy if we couldn't elect a president or achieve solutions before the end of the year. I could have sworn that the country is going to the ruins if we do not address it before it's too late, not just at the presidential level but there are other financial and economic risks.”

“I can only be optimistic and the responsibility lies on all the parties.”

Heads of parliamentary blocs met at the national dialogue for three consecutive days to tackle several pending and controversial issues including the election of a president, the formation of a new government and a new voting system.

The interlocutors failed to come out with a clear agreement on any of the topics and have therefore scheduled an extra meeting for September 5.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

Hariri's move prompted Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea to endorse his longtime Christian foe Aoun for the presidency after their two parties reached a political rapprochement agreement following months of deliberations.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.