Berri has approval of 86 MPs but wants LF to participate in dialogue

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is not worried about his presidential dialogue initiative, sources close to Berri told Annahar.

"Berri is assured that 86 MPs will participate in his dialogue," the sources said in remarks published Monday, adding that he will not immediately call for it as he hopes that Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea will change his mind and accept to attend the presidential dialogue.

The speaker refuses the exclusion of the largest Christian parliamentary bloc, that he considers a key component, the sources said. He also is against the election of a non-consensual president and prefers that all parties reach an agreement on a president to avoid "divisions and obstruction."

Meanwhile, a parliamentary source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that Berri has no intention of abandoning his dialogue initiative under the pressure exerted by the opposition and is betting on the quintet - which comprises the U.S., France, KSA, Qatar and Egypt - to soften the opposition’s stance regarding the presidential dialogue.

Geagea had said Sunday that "the road to Baabda Palace" doesn't have to pass through Haret Hreik and Ain el-Tineh, calling Berri's initiative a "fabricated dialogue."