Berri Accuses All Parties of Causing Baabda Vacuum since March 2014

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that Baabda Palace has been vacant for the past 14 months, blaming all political parties for the failure to elect a new president.

Several local dailies on Monday quoted Berri as telling his visitors that Lebanon has been suffering from a presidential vacuum since March 24, 2014, the day the 60-day constitutional deadline began for the election of a head of state.

President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended on May 25 last year, the longest time the post has been vacant since the devastating civil war ended in 1990.

The rival camps failed to elect a successor despite around 23 parliamentary sessions. The MPs have not met the two-thirds quorum required to hold an electoral session.

“This is a failure for all the political parties and parliamentary blocs. All of them, without any exception, are responsible for it,” Berri said.

“The only difference is that when the constitutional deadline for the election of a new president began on March 24, 2014, we were better off than now. We had a government that assumed its responsibilities and took a lot of decisions,” he told his visitors.

“Also, parliament used to meet and legislate,” the speaker said.

“Today, neither the government nor the parliament are functioning properly,” he lamented.

Parliament convenes twice a year in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and the second from the middle of October through the end of December.

“Five days from now, the legislature's first ordinary session will expire. It will enter a three-month stage during which there won't be extraordinary sessions,” said Berri.

Article 33 of the Constitution confirms that extraordinary sessions can be held at the request of "an absolute majority" of the parliament. But there is no majority support for such a move.

So far there is “no sign” that the rival parties could agree on the election of a new president, Berri said in response to a question.

Asked about the security situation, he told his visitors that “security is good due to the ongoing dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement.”

“Security forces are implementing their missions,” he said.

Comments 5
Thumb EagleDawn 25 May 2015, 08:41

The terrorist in chief of the sectarian party has 3 assistants : Khalil, Berri, and Aoun.

Missing humble 25 May 2015, 11:31

No Mr du Barry. Not all parties. Only M8 parties destroying the institutions.

Missing humble 25 May 2015, 12:24

During his last meeting with HA, Caporal asked Ebola to take Baabda by force like the Houtis did in Yemen. He received a promise once Qalamoun is over.
We must be aware of what is being prepared for the destruction of the Christians.

Missing humble 25 May 2015, 16:56

Beaucoup plus sale qu'on ne peut l'imaginer.
Il devient fou et ne peut jamais accepter (ni comprendre) qu'il n'est pas le plus grand, l'être le plus exceptionnel, l'intelligence personnifiée, le magnifique, le resplendissant....
et les zozos qui l'entourent passent leur temps à l'encenser (il aime ça) et il se nourrit de ces compliments comme un vampire qui a besoin de sucer du sang pour se regénérer.
Certains qui sont du "Cercle Interne" voient clairement la folie et ont peur de ses crises.

Thumb beiruti 25 May 2015, 18:28

Berri is the Speaker of the Parliament. He controls the meetings of that body. If the Parliament does not draw a quorum, it is his duty to bring the Deputies together. The fact that he continually defaults on his duties is not a blame that he can push off on the others. It is his duty, more than the Deputies to insure that the Chamber perform its duty and elect a president, even if it takes a continuous session and continuous balloting until that constitutional task is accomplished.