Parliament Session Adjourned to Saturday after Aoun's Letter Recited

Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday swiftly adjourned a parliamentary session after a letter sent by President Michel Aoun was recited, in an apparent bid to calm political tensions.

A new session will now be held at 2pm Saturday to discuss the letter.

In the letter, Aoun blamed PM-designate Saad Hariri for the delay in forming a new government and asked parliament to take “the appropriate stance, measure or decision for the sake of the people.”

“He is still detaining and perpetuating the formation… and he is also imprisoning the people and governance, taking them together as a hostage… and ignoring every reasonable deadline for formation,” the president charged.

The session was attended by Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil. Hariri had pushed for discussing the letter on Friday, arguing that he came from abroad to debate it.

Media reports meanwhile said that both Hariri and Bassil had prepared fiery speeches to recite during the session.

According to al-Jadeed TV, the tension was clear between Hariri and Bassil during Friday’s session.

“Hariri passed near Bassil without looking at him or saluting him, and Bassil did the same five minutes later,” al-Jadeed said.