Berri to his Critics: I Don't Work for Anyone

Speaker Nabih Berri has criticized parliamentary blocs that are pressuring him into putting certain draft-laws on the agenda of a legislative session, saying he is not their employee.

The Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces had urged Berri to put a draft-law on giving the nationality to Lebanese expatriates on the agenda of the session.

But Berri told his visitors in remarks published in local dailies on Monday that the joint parliamentary committees had not yet approved the draft-law.

“I don't work for anyone and I don't legislate upon other people's tastes. The parliament is not a mill,” he said.

The FPM and the LF have decided to boycott the parliamentary session that Berri intends to call for over their demand to add more draft-laws on the agenda. The Kataeb, another Christian bloc, has also announced that its MPs would not head to parliament unless it meets to elect a new president.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's term ended almost a year ago. More than a dozen rounds of parliamentary sessions have not been held over lack of quorum.

“It is not normal for the state to be without a president and without a productive parliament and cabinet,” Berri said.

The speaker also stressed to his visitors the importance of the dialogue that he is sponsoring between al-Mustaqbal Movement and Hizbullah since December.

“It may not be perfect but has succeeded so far in making many achievements,” he was quoted as saying.

He cited among the achievements the control of the chaos at Roumieh prison, the removal of party slogans and flags and the implementation of security plans in the northern city of Tripoli, the eastern Bekaa Valley, Beirut and its southern suburbs.

The two parties' representatives are set to meet for a new round of talks on Monday.

G.K.

H.K.