Berri Vows to Intensify Efforts to Solve Problem of Illegal Construction in South

Speaker Nabih Berri said during his weekly meeting with MPs on Wednesday that he was exerting all efforts to solve what he called the chaos of illegal construction on public property in the south.

Berri’s pledge came after As Safir daily published a report saying there were more than 500 illegal construction violations in southern Lebanon.

Around 1,000 residential units were built on thousands of acres of public property, according to estimates.

According to the lawmakers, the speaker blamed security authorities for the dereliction of their duties, saying they didn’t make any move to quash the violations despite the contacts he had made with them in this regard.

“This issue causes chaos and strife,” Berri reportedly said.

On the ongoing efforts to form the new government, the MPs said Berri had hinted to them that the cabinet needed a “prayer” in order to be formed.