Berri Refuses to Call on Cabinet to Resign despite Crisis, Says Aoun is ‘Oppressed’
Speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that he isn’t willing to call on the cabinet to resign despite its low productivity as there is no other substitute for it.
“We have agreed on the formation of this cabinet because we had no other substitute or a better choice,” Berri told As Safir newspaper.
However, he stressed that the fact that it is a “necessity government,” then it should find this as an “incentive” and act responsibly to boost its productivity.
“The cabinet doesn’t want to help itself,” Berri stated.
He warned from the standstill the government is going through, noting that it isn’t “acceptable for it to go on in this caretaking manner.”
Berri considered Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun “oppressed.”
“He has some rightful demands that aren’t being answered… He did what he can to facilitate the cabinet’s work,” the speaker said in comments to the As Safir.
Berri revealed that he had informed Prime Minister Najib Miqati that he will not cooperate with the cabinet until it changes its approach in dealing with different controversial issues.
On the controversial extra-budgetary spending, the speaker expressed displeasure with President Michel Suleiman for not ending the dispute by signing the $5.9 billion bill.
“The president’s role is based on interfering when necessary to resolve (disputes),” Berri said.
Suleiman insists that if he signs the $5.9 billion bill, he would make a constitutional violation because it includes irregularities that should be settled by the parliament through the adoption of the reservations expressed by the legislature’s spending and budget committee.
But the March 8 ministers led by Hizbullah, Amal movement and the FPM are pressuring Suleiman to sign it based on article 58 of the constitution to avoid another parliamentary setback.
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