Berri Reportedly Expects Progress on Govt. in Coming Hours

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday reportedly revealed that positive developments will take place in the coming hours regarding the formation of the new government.

Quoting sources, MTV said Berri answered an MP’s question during the weekly Ain el-Tineh meeting by saying: “It won’t take long, because we can no longer withstand the situation.”

Speaker to reporters from Ain el-Tineh, Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli said “pessimism is no longer dominant.”

“There are promising efforts to achieve a major progress towards forming a government, but we must wait,” he added, while calling ex-PM Saad Hariri’s initiative a “significant development” that should be “appreciated and taken into consideration.”

Al-Jadeed TV meanwhile reported that Hizbullah and Berri’s Amal Movement “have not yet taken a decision and are still mulling Hariri’s initiative and suggesting modifications through contacts with those concerned with the formation process.”

MP Alain Aoun of the Strong Lebanon bloc for his part told al-Jadeed that Hariri’s initiative represents a window of opportunity.

“We are counting on expanding this window in order to reach a new government,” he said.