Hizbullah, Berri Shun Panel Formed to Study Hochstein's Proposal

Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah have distanced themselves from a panel formed by President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Miqati with the aim of studying the written proposal that has been sent to Lebanon by U.S. sea border demarcation envoy Amos Hochstein, media reports said on Saturday.

“It had been initially decided to form a technical-administrative committee comprising representatives of the three presidencies (Aoun, Berri and Miqati) and the relevant ministries, but Berri distanced himself from this panel and refrained from dispatching any representative,” ministerial sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper.

“It was later decided to limit the committee’s membership to representatives of the Presidency, the Premiership and the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, energy and public works,” the sources added.

“Once it is formed, the committee will study the U.S. proposal and prepare a draft response for all its points before submitting it to the three presidencies for the final decision to taken,” the sources said, noting that the panel “does not comprise any member of the military-technical delegation that had been tasked with engaging in indirect negotiations (with Israel) in Naqoura,” the sources went on to say.

Al-Akhbar newspaper meanwhile said that the panel will include eight members – two for Aoun, two for Miqati, two for the Foreign Ministry and two for the Defense Ministry. It might also comprise envoys from the Lebanese Army and the ministries of environment, public works and energy, the daily added.

High-level sources meanwhile told al-Akhbar that Public Works Minister Ali Hamiyeh told Hizbullah that the premier wants him to be part of the committee and that the party rejected his participation.

“We will not take part in any meeting or negotiations related to the demarcation file, especially if the committee will meet with U.S. delegations,” Hizbulah told the minister according to the daily.

“The Baabda Palace and the Grand Serail have not agreed on the names of the committee members until the moment,” al-Akhbar added.