Berri: Agenda of Wednesday Parliament Session Remains Unchanged
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday said no changes have been made to the agenda of Wednesday's parliamentary session
"Should there be lack of quorum, I will set a date for another session," Berri added.
"No petition can compel me to do anything and March 14's leaks are aimed at obstruction," he said.
In an interview on NBN television, Berri added: "Shiite representation (in the new cabinet) will not be a problem and when Prime Minister-designate (Tammam) Salam finished his negotiations with the other parties, we will be among the facilitators" of his mission.
Earlier, Berri revealed that he was preparing for what he called a “constitutional fatwa” that would allow the extension of the army chief's mandate if parliament failed to take action.
In remarks to several newspapers, Berri said the formula or the fatwa would pave way for the extension of Gen. Jean Qahwaji's term if the legislature failed to convene or a new government was not formed before the end of his mandate in September.
The extension draft-law is on the agenda of a three-day parliamentary session that Berri has called for on Tuesday.
But lawmakers from the March 14 alliance and the Change and Reform bloc are expected to boycott the session similar to its predecessor.
March 14 lawmakers insist on linking the extension of Qahwaji's mandate to that of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, who retired after turning 59 – the ISF’s maximum working age – on April 1.
Change and Reform MPs on the other hand refuse the extension of the term of the army commander, who turns 60 in September – the age of retirement for military chiefs.
Their boycott of a legislative session earlier this month was exacerbated by a dispute between Berri and Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, who has claimed that the speaker is not entitled to call for a general assembly amid a resigned government.
But Berri was on Monday adamant to “keep calling for sessions” until the issue was resolved, and stressed that he wouldn't amend the agenda, which includes 45 draft-laws.
Regarding the absence of a new government and the failure of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam so far to put together his cabinet, Berri said he was waiting for other parties to propose the names of their candidates to do so as well.
His remark came after Salam said on several occasions that he was still waiting for Berri to implement his pledges of facilitate the cabinet formation process by proposing the names of the candidates of both Hizbullah and his Amal movement.
15 July 2013, 08:03
312
Aywah.. a Constitutional fatwa, than a constitutional sharia eh lesh la2?
Like I said before since our political leaders are divided across religious sectarian lines why don't we have religious priests do the politics them selves it would be MUCH easier and less people to pay in the public sector!
15 July 2013, 08:43
215
“constitutional fatwa”... can this get any stranger... Berri you have lost your mind!
15 July 2013, 15:28
29
I want to thank Naharnet for restoring my account as it was. I respect your professionalism. Perhaps, suspending my account was erroneously done. Thank you:)
15 July 2013, 21:31
07
I don't get much stimulating, meaningful exchange of ideas from Flamethrower. But then again, one of the most important rights a government or society avails to its citizens is the "freedom of speech", even for stupid remarks. See, I understand this very well, but I also acknowledge the fact that for every rule there is an exception, and, sometimes, there are exceptions to the original exception. So, I would not have an issue with banning this guy Flamethrower (by the way is he Lebanese or Persian?) from Naharnet just because I like to engage in meaning full discussion, educate myself and improve the quality of this forum. Surely, we don't want to be distracted by someone who has nothing worthy to offer to a meaningful topic, especially if it is being done to sabotage, hinder or derail this open forum.
15 July 2013, 08:47
213
RFT I can not see why the moderators would have a reason to suspend, your comments are never over the line.
15 July 2013, 09:16
212
I agree general_puppet with your comments. Strange... I have seen horrible and disgusting comments and usernames, but no action was taken against them. There are a few well known posters who write nothing but derogatory remarks and plaster this blog with offensive comments and they still post day after day.
15 July 2013, 12:01
213
lol @justice; are you referring to flamethrower and his numerous others. I just saw him posting on another article with more dashes and points to his name. I think he was banned.
15 July 2013, 13:05
173
Banning FT serves only one purpose: to silence any opinion from the pro FPM/HA side. if FT posts something that crosses the line in Naharnet's view, who not just deleting his comment? Why the outright banning? We are rightly quick in criticizing HA for silencing all descending opinions. What Naharnet is doing here is essentially the same. If we are not given the opportunity to debate and try to make our opponents understand our point of view, how are we going to move forward? Do you people really want a forum where everybody agrees and competes for the most thumbs up?
15 July 2013, 13:08
124
I also urge Naharnet to inform us on its policy and guidelines concerning our participation on this forum. Naharnet should spell out a set of rules applicable to All and evenly enforced.
15 July 2013, 13:22
112
@jabal: Maybe you and I read different posts of this guy. His posts are always filled with personal attacks on other posters who do not share his point of view. Sorry, that is not called debate. He refers to others in very specific adjectives, and most of his posts do not add value. If he gets more than 1 down vote, he complains the world is against him. I have never seen him carry on with a debate free of insults. Again, that is my opinion, and I respect yours.
15 July 2013, 15:10
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Flamethrower: Let me get this right.... So, for fear of being suspended again, you would have resorted to insults once more to show me what you think of my opinion? You just proved my point above, thank you!
15 July 2013, 09:09
314
constitutional fatwa! and they say m8 are not sectarian!
they want us to start getting used to such terms in politics until they declare this country to be run the shia way
15 July 2013, 09:12
418
Somebody should tell this bozo that we're not all Muslims in this country.
15 July 2013, 12:48
27
Walla walla! Would his excellence the estez kindly expand on that? What is the mechanism of a constitutional fatwa? Who would issue it? How would it be given power of law if not passed in Parliament? How could a fatwa, an Islamic religious edict, have legal weight on Jean Qahawaji who happens to be Maronite? We are on an uncontrolled slippery slope to take our status of banana republic to a class in itself.
15 July 2013, 19:26
07
Weapons tallk and B.S walks.
They have done hundred unconstitutional acts before (without calling them fatwas). Anyone opposed is a traitor working for the Zionist/American project. Think about it and you will realize it really is not much different than fatwas.
Only difference is that the Istez is trying his sense of humor.
15 July 2013, 13:16
102
Brother the1phoenix ,it is always a pleasure reading your comments.
15 July 2013, 15:50
24
A Parliament, and a Speaker whose mandate has already ended are now worried that they may not be able to overcome a civil service regulation that requires mandatory retirement at a. Retain age??? This is beyond the sublimely ridiculous. If Parliament can flaunt the institution and extend itself, why can't the Army Chief just self extend his term too?? Since when does the law or the constitution matter to these clowns.
Berri wants to call a special session, a right clear.y reserved to the President and PM, but one that cannot be exercised by a resigned government.
15 July 2013, 15:55
14
The Constitutional prescription is to first approve a government, if an expired Parliament can do that, and then have the new government appoint the Army Chief's successor, dissolve Parliament and start over.
But, no Government until Hezbollah is guaranteed a veto power in the Council of Ministers. And where in the Constitution is there provision that a party must be represented in the Government, much less exercise veto power in it?? This is a country without rules, without laws, it is no wonder that it is not respected by any regional or international power. It's own political class has no respect for its own Constitution.
15 July 2013, 15:56
47
A military takeover followed by the house arrest of all politicians? by all means! Now how would the military put Hassan Nasrallah under house arrest?
15 July 2013, 19:36
05
Berri to Seek for 'Constitutional Fatwa' to Extend Qahwaji's Term.......
If you think about it this is a very clever way of seeming to care about the army highest post not being vacated, all the while he refuses to amend the agenda or allow a special parliamentary session to be held for the purpose of extending his term constitutionally.
Finally if he can extend his term with a fatwa, does it not mean that he can also bring him down. Does it make Qahwaji so gratdeful and so vunerable to the Istez (the political arm of HA)? Is that one of their possible ways to slowly and surely gain control of the army?
Snakes is what they are.
16 July 2013, 02:13
00
Well said. I would initially opt for strong and meaningful grass root effort to change the status quo and give it some time. If that does not work, then, yes, we need to overhaul the system by force.
