Berri 'won't call for dialogue', says no president if no consensus

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he will not call anew for dialogue over the presidential file, stressing that “consensus” is essential for the election of a new president.

“It’s about time everyone shouldered their responsibilities toward Lebanon,” Berri told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Saturday, emphasizing that “a serious drive is necessary in the beginning of the new year to quickly finalize the presidential file.”

“I will not call for dialogue again, because I have tried and they have not responded, so what is the use of calling for dialogue?” Berri added.

The Speaker reminded that, from the very beginning, he had “underscored that a president cannot be elected if there is no consensus.”

“In this parliament, there is no majority nor a minority… We are all minorities, that’s why dialogue is essential,” Berri added.

He accordingly urged all parties to “sit together” with “pure intentions and honest responsibility until consensus is reached.”