Berri Holds Onto Parliamentary Session, Rejects Compromises over Constitution

Speaker Nabih Berri is holding onto his right to call for a parliamentary session and to the agenda that was set by the parliament's bureau, saying there is no “compromise when its related to the constitution.”

“The AMAL movement already objects 15 articles included on the agenda of the session,” Berri said in comments published in As Safir newspaper on Monday.

“If President Michel Suleiman and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati want to summon the parliament to extraordinary sessions then this is additional,” the speaker said.

The caretaker premier and March 14 members argue that except for the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji’s mandate, none of the other items on the agenda are urgent to justify holding a session in the absence of a government.

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun on the other hand strongly opposes the extension.

Berri told As Safir that the same side is targeting the parliament and obstructing the formation process of a new government.

“The army and the parliament are an all embracing institutions... They want to paralyze them,” he said.

The speaker pointed out that some sides want to “thwart Qahwaji's efforts to prevent security violations and maintain stability.”

Berri warned of targeting the army politically and security , stressing that the campaign against him is “more dangerous that than the security violations across the country.”

Berri postponed the three-day session to July 16 after March 14 and Miqati claimed that the speaker cannot ask parliament to convene to discuss not important issues amid a resigned cabinet.

Concerning the formation of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam's cabinet, Berri considered that it's a “necessity,” amid the current situation in the country.

The deadlock in cabinet formation came against the backdrop of a dispute between Berri and Miqati.