Reports: Eight Officials Met in Parliament in ‘Calculated Step’ to Restore Ties with Berri

A meeting held in parliament between top March 8 officials was planned and aimed at consolidating the new parliamentary majority which hasn’t been able to form a cabinet since Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s nomination in January, media reports Thursday.

The meeting was held on Wednesday on the sidelines of a legislative session and gathered Speaker Nabih Berri, Miqati, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat, head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad, Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, head of the Lebanese Democratic Party MP Talal Arslan and chief of the Syrian Social National Party Assaad Hardan.

Although the officials who participated in the meeting claimed that the talks were a pure “coincidence,” informed parliamentary sources told An Nahar daily that the conferees took a “calculated step” to consolidate the new majority although it wasn’t able to guarantee a quorum at the legislative session.

Berri had called for the session to discuss pressing issues but the March 14 forces in addition to the blocs of Jumblat and Miqati boycotted the meeting. However, the PSP leader and the prime minister-designate came to parliament in an effort to “restore” relations with the speaker, An Nahar said.

Al-Liwaa daily also said that Wednesday’s meeting between the eight officials was arranged by Berri’s aide Ali Hassan Khalil in cooperation with Caretaker Minister Wael Abou Faour.