Berri Promises to Fight Confessionalism

Speaker Nabih Berri has reiterated that he would refer a draft law proposed by the civil society on the transition to a secular state to involved parliamentary committees.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published Monday, Berri said: “My stance from the abolishment of political confessionalism has been clear for years.”

He made his remark as thousands of Lebanese held a protest in Beirut on Sunday, the third in less than a month, to demand an end to the country's confessional system.

The speaker will meet on Monday with a delegation from civil society organizations which will deliver him a copy of a proposed draft law on personal status “to make a transition from a sectarian state to a secular state.”

He confirmed to An Nahar that he would “immediately” refer the proposal to the parliamentary committees.