Berri Warns against 'Excluding' Hizbullah from New Cabinet
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri has said that the intention behind the formation of a new non partisan government is to exclude Hizbullah, a process that he rejected by warning that the lawmakers of his parliamentary bloc would not give their vote of confidence to it.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday quoted Berri as saying that his Amal movement would not “isolate” Hizbullah which has fought and resisted Israel.
He said the alleged exclusion is the result of the widening gap between Iran, Hizbullah's main regional backer, and Saudi Arabia.
But he accused Riyadh of rejecting to hold dialogue with Tehran over the Islamic country's nuclear program.
Berri reiterated that a proposal made by him along with Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat to form a government based on the 9-9-6 formula was the best option.
But the March 14 alliance is rejecting to get nine ministers along with the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp. Under the proposal, the remaining six would go to centrists – President Michel Suleiman, Premier-designate Tammam Salam and Jumblat.
Al-Hayat quoted officials, who have visited Berri, as saying that the speaker hasn't confirmed media reports that Hizbullah and his Amal movement would ask Shiite ministers to resign from the new cabinet if it was imposed on them.
“No one from the March 8 alliance said such a thing,” Berri said.
But he warned that if the decrees of the fait accompli government were issued as reported on January 7 or 8, then the ministers would need time to agree on their policy statement.
The line-up would be sent within a month to parliament for discussion. “But it would not receive a vote of confidence because my bloc and that of MP Walid Jumblat will reject it,” he said.
Suleiman will be compelled to hold a new round of binding consultations with parliamentary blocs to name a new premier-designate, Berri's visitors quoted him as saying.
“This way, there will be a month and ten days left for parliament to enter the stage of presidential elections,” he reportedly said.
The Constitution sets March 25 as the date for the legislature to start holding sessions to elect a new president.
“What would such a government do in a month and ten days at the end of a president's term?” Berri asked in reference to the expiry of Suleiman's six-year mandate in May.
The speaker reiterated to his visitors that the de facto cabinet would worsen differences between the rival parties and would complicate the presidential election process by preventing consensus on a new head of state.
“Had their been consensus, it would have been easier for us to guarantee the two-thirds majority during the election,” he said.
Despite his criticism of any attempt by Suleiman and Salam to issue the decrees on a new line-up of so called “neutral” ministers, Berri did not offer any other solution, sticking to the 9-9-6 formula.
“Let them deal with their own problems,” he reportedly told his visitors.
02 January 2014, 07:47
2012
"Berri as saying that his Amal movement would not “isolate” Hizbullah which has fought and resisted Israel."
LOL....LOL....LOL....LOL....
02 January 2014, 11:31
175
Berri is playing the sectarian card, making it shia vs the rest of lebanon. he plays a huge role in the current degradation of lebanon's economy and security. these shia never built anything for the nation, they only destroyed since lebanon's cration in 1943.
02 January 2014, 12:05
818
You can't expect to form a cabinet, without all parties participating. How would it be neutral then?
02 January 2014, 12:19
187
There is no such thing as a neutral cabinet. And if there is, this is a situation which will lead nowhere !
Your cabinet didn't have all parties in it and it failed miserably because you have incompetent politicians with irrelevant and twisted "plans"! You've had your time trying to play politics and you sucked at it !
Hezbollah should not be allowed to take part of the cabinet because they do not respect our laws and sovereignty. They do not recognize Lebanon and they have NO PLAN for the country.
The only thing Hezbollah will do in the cabinet is HANDICAP it, SABOTAGE it and QUIT IT whenever they feel confronted. SO NO, HEZBOLLAH DOES NOT EARN THE RIGHT to be part of the cabinet.
02 January 2014, 12:21
196
i wish those hezbi lovers can tell us in which way did hezbollah ever particpated in improving lebanese economy and welfare?
02 January 2014, 13:33
916
If i recall it right, FC. It was Mr. Hariri that did so, when he felt cornered.
02 January 2014, 13:35
816
Then he left to another country, and left all his supporters in the darkness.
02 January 2014, 15:35
115
Hariri that did what ?
He let you guys govern and you failed !
Show me your economical and social "master-plans" for Lebanon and then you can talk about wanting to be part of a government. Otherwise, why do you even bother ?
You already act in disregard of Government and Laws and disrespect of other Lebanese who oppose your weapons and terrorism. You don't deserve to be part of any democratic process.
02 January 2014, 07:49
1810
We all know what Berri's warnings mean.
Lets not give those traitors any pretext, neutral government of technocrats is the solution out of this...
02 January 2014, 10:47
195
The presence of armed hizbullah reporting to Iran and Syria but not to lebanese citizens is the problem. We should be in a democratic country. Yet hizbullah authority is not derived from a democratic process but from an imposed process. Hizbullah authority is above the lebanese laws for exemplar the young man killed in front the Iranian embassy while demonstrating. Every body saw who did the murder, cameras recorded the crime. But no pursuit engaged the hizbullah murderer.
02 January 2014, 10:47
184
FT your perception is so fat from what m14 believe. They think that they are the side that is striving the most for an independent Lebanon, strong institutions, strong army and security forces, free from illegal weapons.
If your perception is so much opposite it means not that you are right and m14 wrong it just mean that there is so much misunderstanding and mistrust between the two sides.
These misunderstanding can be casted away only when Lebanon can be allowed to decide its future away from the armed influence of Syria and Iran through their satellite hizbullah.
02 January 2014, 11:56
184
sure iranian money is better... all for hezbollah and nothing for lebanon.... we know where your allegiance lies FT...
certainly not to lebanon....
if the money can streghten the army and get us rid of your pimp then it is good money.... that is why you are sooooo desperate these days... afraid that the army gets strong so the presence of hezbollah will not justified anymore and afraid for your FPM privileges! LOL
02 January 2014, 13:04
185
@FT : you've had your government without M14 and you have shown the world you are INCOMPETENT.
You do not have any plans for the country.
In fact, you're not allowed to talk about the economy when all Hezbollah has done is cripple it. You blocked privatisation and your only "solution" is the oil file which does not solve our economical problem. It fuels the corruption of your politicians and gives Hezbollah a new funding source for its terror.
Show me your economical plan and then talk about the economy.
And stop your lies. There is no such thing as free contacts vs the $3B grant to the army. It's all in your fairytale world.
You want to tackle the economy ? First thing is to tackle security and stability and disarm Hezbollah. As long as there are terrorist armies in town, there will be no economical growth ! No investments, no jobs, no future ...
02 January 2014, 19:19
40
@FT : sure ! If you take into account that much of what M8 "achieved" were plans setup by M14 governments which were sabotaged by M8 back then :)
And if you choose to ignore the fact that M8 destroyed all the economical drive created by Rafiq el Hariri before his murder. Whether you like it or not, our country was on the right economical track with investors coming from across the world, tourists (saudis or not, I don't care), expats coming back to Lebanon ... all destroyed the day he was killed and Hezbollah took over the country.
What did M8 achieve ? please amuse me ... :) Throwing cash away at renting Powerboats which could have been purchased for the same price ? Or an amazing 3G network and internet connection (started under M14 rule) ? or is it the security and flock of investments and job creation ? Or the stability that Hezbollah weapons brought to the country ?
03 January 2014, 12:39
00
Tons more ??? Let me remind you that M8 was the "Stick in the wheel" of all previous M14 led goverments. The sole purpose of M8 presence was to sabotage all plans. Oppose such things as PRIVATISATION which would have shaped the country and pushed it to new heights rather than your shitty telecom and electric "plans". And much of what was "achieved" by this governments were planned 8-10 years back.
And please, list your "achievements" so that I can understand what is it exactly you're proud of.
02 January 2014, 07:50
1814
berry and hizbushaitan do not realize that when you do not stick to agreements, people stop believing you. this is why no one wants to meet with iran.
when you have no honor respecting your own word no one respects you.
02 January 2014, 11:13
186
_Flamethrower_ 1 hour ago 35
thank you for your opinion, moshé from keryat shmona, we now take another call, from lebanon this time..
is there a limit to the stupidity of ft?
mulitiple stupid accounts :)
02 January 2014, 08:04
213
But surely, the formation of a Government only needs a majority of the Members of Parliament to vote it in, so unless Mr. Berri intends using his office of Speaker to undermine legal acts in the Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon, I see no legal reason why the 9 + 6 part of the 9,6,9 equation should not be able to form a government, with Mr. Berri and his Amal associates in opposition. Coalition, opposition, a formula used in most democratic countries around the world.
I have a feeling that his biggest problem would be that he himself would then lose his power base of the office of Speaker.
02 January 2014, 10:54
174
No Philippo. The issue is that khizbollah will not accept any government where it cannot control the key ministries. Khizbollah arms are there to insure that the political process is dominated by m8 in order to maintain the hegemony if the Syrian Iranian project in the region. That is why m14 leaders and intellectuals have been eliminated one after the other as their moral force is a threat against hizbullah.
The only thing m14 can do is boycott any government with hizbullah while this armed terrorist party is fighting in Syria and does not deliver the wanted suspects envolved in the murder of Hariri and attempted murder of Harb.
02 January 2014, 08:12
2011
"Berri Warns"… Berri you are a stooge of the Iranian militia, what ells would you say.
02 January 2014, 09:40
188
Hizbullah has lost the illusion of being anything other than a shite/ Iranian implant and should either break away from Lebanon or act like one of many.
02 January 2014, 10:11
186
Why don't you shut up Berri you and what ever you say are worthless your nothing but a liar and thief!
02 January 2014, 11:43
178
hezbollah should be excluded from lebanon and stay in syria if they prefer to fight for them! LOL
02 January 2014, 12:54
411
No dear Mr. Berri, stop your warnings and stop the intimidation too, a new government should include NO Hezbollah and definitely NO other party, otherwise what's the use of having dissolved Miqati government which is now under caretaker form? If we are going to form another government along the same old lines, then it means that we are only changing the looks of the new cabinet but the feel will remain exactly the same. No Mr. Berri, this time let us have a cabinet of technocrats, staffed by professionals who have no affinity to either M8 or M14, but to Lebanon. We have tried both, and above all, we have seen how one sabotages the other, for this time, sma7elna fiya ya Istez, and let us have a real government, made up of real human beings, not droids, blizz.
02 January 2014, 15:17
110
Ideally speaking, then yes, Suleiman need not see his term extended, but if La 7awla wala qouwwati, Lebanon remains gripped and locked in this seemingly interminable hand-wrenching between M8 and M14, then absolutely yes, Suleiman should and will see his term extended by at least 3 years minimum. But before we get to that situation, let us at least allow Mr. Tamam Salam form his cabinet, preferably a reduced one but made up entirely of technocrats sort out our innumerable problems, all of which that were created as a result of both M14 and M8. Mr. Salam is a man of high integrity and his capacity to work for all the Lebanese cannot be doubted.
02 January 2014, 15:22
88
@Phoenix, aslong as President Sulaiman keeps following Saudis every step, then know he should not be extended. People voted for him last time, because he seemed like a reasonable man respecting all parties.
But now he has proven he is not a neutral President, which is why we need a new one.
02 January 2014, 16:26
15
Mystic, Happy new year brother. As I said earlier, ideally best that no extension be made, except La 7awla wala qouwwati. But I do understand your sentiments as an M8 sympathizer, people like Suleiman do not have an easy life when they chose that most difficult of paths, not to follow in anyone's dictates. believe me, the president is not plying to any Saudi wishes, he is just trying to toe the line of impartiality, the nation first. I remember not too long ago, Suleiman was being scolded by the M14 side, specially by Al Mustaqbal for being too soft on Hezbollah, now M8 is applying the sponge treatment in its turn. What we all need is exactly such a man, neither this side nor that side, just a line that can stay clear of this trap. When he goes to Iran, why isn't he labelled an Iran puppet?
02 January 2014, 16:28
14
FT, ya FT, I am one who steadfastly believes in a non-partisan president, and I will again recal the very best we could ever get, please ya sha3b, the name is Demianos Kattar, I repeat, Demianos Kattar, why can't we have him? I know the answer, how about the readership here?
02 January 2014, 16:47
27
Happy new year Phoenix. I still believe he has been too close to the Saudi regime this time, as we have all seen on Naharnet, and that i have seen on other sites and heard aswell. He used to be more open minded towards all parties once, but he has indeed put his foot on the M14 line of support. Which is why i encourage people around me, not to vote for him next time.
02 January 2014, 17:18
15
Hi Mystic, thanks for the greetings very appreciated. Sorry, I am not too sure about whom you mentioned, Demianos being too close to Saudi? Just wanted it cleared before I respond, thanks bro.
02 January 2014, 16:11
81
He is speaking on Jumblat's behalf. He can reject it but if Jumblat does not, then it will be formed.
02 January 2014, 17:05
51
Is Hezbollah a Lebanese party in the first place or a foreign party with Lebanese members?
