Berri Says he is Trying to Give Reconciliation a Chance
Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he urged Prime Minister Tammam Salam to procrastinate in calling for a cabinet session to “give a chance for reconciliation” among the bickering parties.
Berri's press office said Thursday that he telephoned Salam asking him to wait before inviting the government to convene to give a chance to consultations after Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah, Marada Movement and Tashnag party ministers boycotted the session.
Despite the boycott, the cabinet took important decisions, including the payment of the salaries of civil servants and the authorizing to the finance ministry to issue Eurobonds.
In remarks to al-Mustaqbal newspaper published on Friday, Berri described the decisions as “necessary.”
He said, however, that the cabinet deadlock should not continue. “We have an opportunity and perhaps through dialogue and consultations we could reach a solution.”
Berri also told his visitors that the absence of the six ministers from the session was not “negative,” saying “essential items” were approved.
The speaker also said that efforts are underway to sign the 70 decrees.
Berri, who heads the Amal Movement that is allied with Hizbullah, confirmed to al-Mustaqbal a report that he is planning to call the rival politicians for all-party talks similar to the dialogue that he had launched in 2006.
“I haven't yet taken a final decision in that regard because the success of (the dialogue) requires consultations,” he told the daily.
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