Berri Advocates Dialogue for Consensus on New PM to Avoid Delay in Cabinet Formation

Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday strongly advocated national dialogue to limit the tension in the country and agree on a consensus prime minister to prevent a delay in the formation of a new national government that would be fully committed to the dissociation policy.

In an interview with pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, Berri said that if President Michel Suleiman launches consultations with rival parliamentary blocs on April 2, then each party will provide different names on the person who would lead the new cabinet.

“In the absence of consensus, the government would not be formed in 15 years,” he quipped. “There should be dialogue before the consultations to agree on some essential issues that facilitate the formation of the cabinet.”

The appearance of the rival leaders “together at the national dialogue table limits tension and helps calm the security situation,” Berri told al-Hayat giving the example of the northern city of Tripoli, which has been embroiled in fighting since last week.

“We should settle what we want. Do we want a government to fill the vacuum or we want a cabinet that would oversee the elections?” he asked.

About calls for the formation of a neutral and technocrat cabinet, Berri said that his priority was a national unity government made up of the country's major factions.

“It's only then that we could bring everyone to the (dialogue) table to manage the situation amid the region's crises, and contribute to the country's protection,” he said, adding “this would lead to permanent dialogue in the government.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati resigned on Friday after a dispute between cabinet members on the extension of the tenure of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and the formation of the authority that would oversee this year's parliamentary elections.

“If a national unity cabinet was formed, we should implement the dissociation policy from the Syrian crisis more seriously,” Berri stressed. “What happened so far is that neither side implemented it.”

The March 14 opposition alliance accuses Hizbullah of sending its members to fight alongside Syrian government troops against rebels while the March 8 coalition led by Hizbullah claims that al-Mustaqbal movement is backing fighters to cross to the neighboring country and support the rebel Free Syrian Army.

Asked whether Berri thought the parliamentary elections set to be held on June 9 would be postponed for a long time, he said: “If we agree on a new law soon then we can hold them on time.”

“But they could be postponed to June 17 or 18, two days before the end of the parliament's tenure on the 20th of the same month,” he said.

The rival parliamentary blocs have so far failed to agree on an electoral draft-law. Several proposals have been made but only the Orthodox Gathering plan was approved by the joint parliamentary committees, the final step before the draft-law is referred to parliament for adoption.

However Berri has been slow in calling for a General Assembly to allow MPs and different parties to reach consensus on another vote law after the Orthodox proposal faced stiff criticism from the opposition al-Mustaqbal bloc, the centrist National Struggle Front and the March 14 opposition alliance's independent Christian MPs and figures.