Report: Berri, Hariri Agree to Extend Parliament's Tenure

Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly agreed with al-Mustaqbal Chief and former Premier MP Saad Hariri on the importance of extending the term of the parliament amid the ongoing presidential vacuum.

Ministerial sources close to the March 8 alliance told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, published on Saturday, that the two officials are seeking to justify the extension of the parliament's term by resolving several lingering crises.

The sources told the daily that Berri implicitly backs the extension of the parliament but rejects it in public.

“The speaker wants to activate the role of lawmakers despite the presidential vacuum,” the sources added, the matter which was continuously opposed by the March 14 alliance on pretext that the assembly should only meet to elect a new head of state.

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

Sources told al-Hayat that Berri will only agree on extending the parliament's term by reactivating its role.

Zahle MP Nicolas Fattoush proposed on Tuesday a draft-law for the extension by more than two years, citing security reasons.

Last year, the parliament extended its mandate to November 2014 for the same reasons.

But this year, the crisis widened after Baabda Palace was vacated over the failure to elect a president.

There are fears that the failure to hold the parliamentary elections would lead to a bigger vacuum.

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