Berri Denies Addressing Parliamentary Elections with Political Powers, Prioritizes Presidential Poll

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Thursday that he didn't tackle the extension of the parliament's term with any political party, pointing out that the priority is for staging the presidential elections.

“Contacts with political powers are focusing on the election of a new head of state and not the parliamentary polls,” Berri said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

He denied that he tackled the extension of the parliament's tenure with any political party, saying: “I refuse to take this matter into consideration... I am dealing with it as if it doesn't exist.”

“My meeting with (Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid) Jumblat addressed the presidential poll in an attempt to reach a breakthrough in the ongoing deadlock.”

The two officials held a meeting on Tuesday in Ain el-Tineh.

A heated debate surfaced recently over the possibility of extending the parliament's term amid the ongoing presidential vacuum.

Lebanon will enter on August 20 a deadline to agree on a new electoral law ahead of the November elections.

In May 2013, the parliament voted to extend its own mandate for 17 months after the rival political parties failed to reach a new electoral law.

Around 100 MPs from all blocs, except the Change and Reform bloc, voted to extend parliament's term until November 20, 2014.

The flurry of political consultations is aimed at securing the extension of the parliament and averting further vacuum at state institutions, An Nahar newspaper quoted sources as saying.

The sources expressed fear that Christian parties would impede the endeavors as Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun insists on staging parliamentary elections based on a new electoral law, while Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea rejects the matter and is holding onto the importance of carrying out the presidential elections first.

H.K.

M.T.