Berri Calls on Hariri to Return to Lebanon to Facilitate Resumption of Dialogue
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri urged former Prime Minister and the head of Mustaqbal movement Saad Hariri to return to Lebanon, pointing out that he is ready to reconsider Hariri's reappointment as a premier.
“Hariri must return to Lebanon to facilitate the resumption of the dialogue so that we cooperate to face the current challenges,” Berri said in comments published in local newspapers on Monday.
“I think Hariri can stay at the Center House if he has security fears,” the speaker said.
Asked if Hariri would reconsider running for the premiership again, Berri said: “We can reconsider the matter.”
The March 8 majority led by Hizbullah, backed by some of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat’s 12-member National Struggle Front parliamentary bloc, brought PM Najib Miqati to the premiership after Hariri’s national unity cabinet was toppled.
Concerning the process of the cabinet formation, Berri lashed out at PM-designate Tammam Salam, saying: “His insistence on forming an equally divided government is useless.”
The AMAL leader expressed surprise at Salam's insistence to deal with the March 8 alliance as one bloc, despite “my previous statement that Hizbullah and I will negotiate alone as (Free Patriotic Movement leader) MP Michel Aoun decided to negotiate alone.”
Berri had previously informed the PM-designate that his Amal movement would negotiate separately with Salam on its shares. But Salam allegedly told him that he would consider the March 8 alliance of FPM, Hizbullah and Amal as a single coalition that would get 8 ministers in a 24-member cabinet.
Salam insists on giving the March 14 alliance, the centrists and March 8 coalition 8 ministers each. He also wants a cabinet of non provocative political figures.
“We are no longer a one team in dealing with local issues over our disputes, which should have facilitated the formation of the cabinet,” Berri said in his comments.
The speaker lashed out at Salam, saying: “He demands us to deal with him as a centrist and not part of the March 14 coalition but he rejects to admit that the March 8 alliance is no longer one entity.”
“AMAL and Hizbullah's share is five ministers at the cabinet and we will not accept anything else,” Berri said.
He praised Jumblat's stances that call for the formation of a unity cabinet.
“If it wasn't for Jumblat's stance a de facto government would have been formed,” he added.
Berri also lauded Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speech, stressing that dialogue is a necessity amid the “dangerous” situation the region and Lebanon are passing through.
Nasrallah said on Friday that Hizbullah is willing to engage in national dialogue over a national defense strategy “without any preconditions.”
He during the annual iftar banquet held by the Islamic Resistance Support Association said his party will resume dialogue “before or after the formation of the new cabinet, because we are honest in seeking to protect our country.”
22 July 2013, 08:57
110
Once the culprits who assassinated his father and many others, are behind bars, once the Hizbel criminals has faced international justice for all he' s done in Lebanon, in Syria, and elsewhere (Argentina, Thailand, Bulgaria, Egypt, etc...) , then Hariri will return. You're making the elimination job of the basij and their allies too easy ya Istizz! It's good enough to remove state protection away from M14 MP's the way it happened to RH a few months before the Hizb blew him up. When the pointing index of the Dahyie rat has been cut , then Hariri will return!
22 July 2013, 09:21
58
Berri, please go join Harriri or just move to Damascus or Tehran.
Salam/s insistence on not giving you the veto power is not useless but rather necessary. Your insistence on the veto power is useless.
You are not a king maker.
22 July 2013, 11:22
103
Hariri will be back after the IMF forces Lebanon to sell off its remaining assets.
Hariri and his KSA backers will pay pennies on the dollar for Lebanon's utilities and infrastructure.
Saad is using the same playbook as his father ... profit from the economic crisis while people are desperate ...
22 July 2013, 22:12
01
Maybe you should look closer at who is causing the crisis and desperation
22 July 2013, 09:24
61
Dr. Arreet 7akeh said NO to dialogue, and so the resounding "NO dialogue" shall... well... emm... duh... mean YES dialogue. Why, you ask? Because when Dr. Arreet 7akeh says something, we (and this excludes his followers, Drs. Arteena Satleh) all know that his words amount to... well... umm... duh... nothing more than a load of bull, are meaningless, worthless and just plain art 7akeh. wlak min addak ya 7ak...awati mtahwaj ma elo e3tibar?
22 July 2013, 09:55
91
This article just emphasises a position I wrote here a few months ago, regarding the allowing of nationals living overseas to take an active role and vote in the country.
Harari, and anyone else in his situation, should be told "get on the first plane or shut up".
I have always believed that voting in a general election, and it makes no difference where in the world it takes place, should be limited to citizens of the country actually living in the country.
22 July 2013, 11:08
17
why is that?
a Lebanese should be able to vote wherever he is as any other country does.
22 July 2013, 11:52
61
A British person who lives overseas can not vote in the elections.
So you agree to the theoretical possibility that the government of the country can be decided by Lebanese citizens who live permanently in West Africa, Australia, North America and wherever else and haven't visited the home country in years.
22 July 2013, 10:17
27
Regret on removing and sidelining Hariri are surfacing. It was a huge mistake to topple and try to destroy Hariri who still represents moderation. I do hope there is a genuine desire from both sides to reach common ground and calm the situation. Both sides have to willing to budge otherwise we are going nowhere.
22 July 2013, 14:30
13
@ phillipo, Our constitution was inspired by the French, which is a Republican system. By law, a Frenchmen can vote for presidential elections even if he is living abroad. He however, cannot vote for municipal laws if non resident. Recently, a Frenchman can also elect a parliamentary who represents the French living abroad.The British Regime is completely different. They even have 2 kind of passports for their citizens... look it up!
22 July 2013, 10:43
22
I'm glad you have some analytical abilities lol. You repeat yourself over and over. Same old line.
22 July 2013, 10:55
14
Did your master Bachar ask U to get him closer to assasinate him?
Are you staying in post and in Lebanon because u are stronger and fearless or because you are a syrian doggy?
22 July 2013, 11:20
36
answer my other post if you have facts and figures otherwise your talk is just biased sheep blabbering. the fact no matter how you spin it was that Lebanon, under m14, was growing at an exceptional rate... keep repeating it.. just like Dorothy, you might make it home.
22 July 2013, 11:27
113
@ arzak-ya-libnan
Lebanon was growing at an exceptional rate because of borrowed money ... loans that are now weighing Lebanon down.
We have seen this in most countries it is just happening to Lebanon in the last two years ...
Under Rafik the national debt went from under $5 billion to over $40 billion ... Saad was running the same casino game ...
22 July 2013, 11:28
93
@ arzak-ya-libnan
Once the IMF steps in and demands Lebanon sell its utilities and infrastructure Saad and his KSA money backers will buy them for pennies on the dollar. Almost the same game his father played for his billions.
22 July 2013, 11:36
61
When you want to participate in a country's cabinet, when you call yourself a lebanese citizen and criticise others of being iranian or i duno what crap your camp invents, the LEAST you can do, is be on lebanese soil, what piece of CRAP this haririi
22 July 2013, 11:54
28
mc.. thank you for your reply. Under Rafic, true the national debt did increase as mentioned. But we have to remember that we had just come out of a civil war. everything, and i do mean everything, was in ruins. you have to spend money to make money.. lebanon would not be the tourist destination it is now (or at its height in 2010 under m-14) if we left everything as is. How are the people going to get work if we didnt rectify the problem? let us also not forget the MANY wars and battles we fought with Israel every four years. Yes alot of the money was donated, but the govt had to dip into its budget for others.. do not misunderstand me, corruption is rife on both ends of the spectrum, but to blame it only on m-14 is just not right, if anything the economy was recovering under them, and now slowed down to a rate where even m-8 business men are considering m-14 better suited to their needs.
22 July 2013, 11:54
38
again i will repeat in the years 2006-2010 gdp growth was averaging 8-9% under m8 between 2011-2013 it is a measly 1.75%.
tourists peaked under m14 with 2.3 million in 2010 compared to an average of 1.3 these past 2 years.
foreign investment averaged 4.5 billion dollars under m14 compared to 3.1 billion under m8.. if anyone was rectifying the situation it was m14.
22 July 2013, 12:41
26
what i gave you was facts and figures FT, what you are giving me is pure propaganda.. you can look up gdp growth for lebanon and find out the figures and facts.. how about tourists? what about the foreign investments?? m8 prefers a slow real growth? the average person is hungrier under m8.. thats no lie.
and i love the "we stopped borrowing" you were spending borrowed money.. if you didnt want it you could have returned it under your policies.. why choose the latter?
22 July 2013, 13:35
26
Tony i am not comparing anyone to anyone else.. i have mentioned that both sides are as corrupt as the next.. i am talking about figures that reflect upon the ordinary citizen. not who stole how much...
22 July 2013, 15:00
13
The growth rate of the national debt is just as bad under the current M8 government as the previous M14 government.
22 July 2013, 20:40
01
Actually this year saw the Debt increase by 11 Billion... a record! :)
22 July 2013, 15:36
13
wow dude--give it up. you are using conspiracy theories again instead of using facts. why don't you ask your hizb iran friends why they started a war in 2006 and caused the economy to shrink by over 6%? And why is it that if you are so adamant about improving the 'real' economy, you and your m8 cohorts refuse to privatize the electric sector which is the biggest drain on the budget with over $500M per month?
Face it, you guys like 'populist' economics, not real economics which forces governments to balance budgets and sell off unprofitable sectors. Bring your case to a bunch of economists and you will be laughed out of the building.
22 July 2013, 16:32
11
"Under Rafik the national debt went from under $5 billion to over $40 billion"
Is this true?
22 July 2013, 16:41
02
YOU ALL ARE JUST A BUNCH OF STUPID HEADED PEOPLE! How about you stop arguing over who's better, and start understanding that neither M8 OR M14 is any good of this country and they are the reason we are here! How about move on from the past and start working on developing a better Lebanon were muslims are muslims and not Sunni Shiaa! Stop it seriously, just hope for the better! I don't care about Syria or USA or whatever! If you love Lebanon, start loving each other and not argue over politics!!!! Stop sectarianism! My best friend is with "The other" political party but honestly neither of us cares if they both kill each other, because anyone who engage in this "party" shit is a stupid moron! LOVE EACH OTHER! ALL LEBANESE LOVE EACH OTHER AND LOVE OTHER RELIGIONS!
22 July 2013, 16:47
13
Stop finding excuses FT.
1- Hariri/M14 were never in total control of Lebanon, of gov or parliament. All decisions taken had to be approved in a cohabitation cabinet so stop lying ...
2- M8 enjoyed blocking powers so they are as responsible ...
3- Negative PR ??? Negative PR happens when there is NOTHING POSITIVE to share ! Nothing to do with M14 ...
4- Global Economic Recession ? No you liar, it's WAR in 2006, and all the shit HA has been doing to prevent Lebanon from getting back up.
5- Remind me what a VETOLESS M8 government has achieved so far ???
- Internet : shit
- 3G : shit
- 4G : who are you kidding ?
- Electricity : licence to steal money with power "boats". The most stupid decision ever by the fastest earning person in Lebanon, Bassil ...
22 July 2013, 17:03
11
Dear "Lebanon will raise (huh!?) bla bla bla..."
It is lovely from you to insult us all at once here, call us "A BUNCH OF STUPID PEOPLE", and scream for "LOVE"!
I think this is the most pathetic post I have ever read on Naharnet. Thank you for this exquisite moment of literature! No one could have praised for love in a better way ;)
22 July 2013, 17:06
11
Berri Calls on Hariri to Return to Lebanon to "Bomb the hell out of him"... This seems like Gebran Tueni deja vu... He just came back from France and bang... They kiled the guy...
22 July 2013, 17:43
11
Who, "bang"killed the guy??? You have info. you would like to share with us?? Some tel. conversation implicating Berri or someone else in the murder of Tueini? I suggest you
keep your mouth shut, and stip spreading rummors and false info.
22 July 2013, 18:32
11
You are right people-power, it must be his M14 allies who killed Gebran Tueni...
mazen, before I shut my mouth, let me refresh your memory: four on the Hizbullah members are implicated in Harrir's killing and they are on the run. One of the Hizbullah member is also implicated in Harb's failed murder attempt and he is on the run. Two of the Hizbullah members died when they were sitting a bomb. Look the list goes on and on.. Your stupid Hassa Nasrallh should shut his mouth and stop bending over to his Farsi masters in Iran...
22 July 2013, 22:14
10
What the_roar has said above this post is correct.
Wissam was probably assassinated by the same group he wad probably conspired with.
