Berri says September initiative 'last chance' to sit together, elect president

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri has renewed his call on political blocs to engage in dialogue to elect a president before the end of September, after 10 months of presidential void.

Crisis-hit Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October last year, with neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its opponents -- having the majority required to elect one.

Berri called on everyone, "without exception", to take part in the dialogue in September, in remarks published Monday in al-Joumhouria newspaper.

"I have called for a seven-day dialogue, following which open presidential election sessions would be held, in order to satisfy both parties -- those who want dialogue before electing a president and those who want to start the dialogue after a president is elected," Berri said.

The speaker said his initiative is the country's "last chance."

Lebanon, long divided on sectarian lines, has been hit both by a political void and a major economic crisis.

Berri has so far refused requests from members of the anti-Hezbollah camp to hold open sessions until a president is elected.

French special presidential envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is scheduled to return to Lebanon this month, had proposed on his last visit to Beirut to invite all those taking part in the process of electing a president to a meeting in September to achieve a consensus on the challenges and on the priority projects the future president will have to carry out, and consequently the qualities necessary for tackling them.

The blocs opposed to Hezbollah and its allies have refused to take part in talks to agree on a head of state before proceeding with a vote, preferring to rely on the democratic process.

"They invite you to dialogue to strangle you and kill you or to stifle your principles, beliefs and freedom and force you to do what they want," Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said that dialogue should be held "without prejudgments" and without imposing ideas, projects and viewpoint.

"We must put an end to the presidential crisis before the end of September," Berri said. "We sit together with pure intentions. If we agree on one candidate, that would be great, and if we don't, then we choose two candidates or even more and go to parliament for voting in open sessions with full quorum."

Berri told al-Joumhouria that regardless of the dialogue's outcome and whether it succeeds or fails, he will call for open sessions until a president is elected.