Berri Says Dispute over Parliament Session Reflects ‘Veiled Dictatorship’
Speaker Nabih Berri said that he was surprised by the “fabricated” campaign against him, denying that he was after personal gains by insisting on holding a parliamentary session on Wednesday, As Safir reported on Tuesday.
He hinted that the dispute between the March 8 and 14 forces over the parliamentary session reflects the mentality of the “Emirate” that al-Mustaqbal movement officials have, which endangers the future of the democratic system and its institutions in Lebanon.
The speaker avoided commenting on Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s decision to boycott Wednesday’s parliamentary meeting, along with Caretaker Minister Mohammed Safadi and MP Ahmed Karami, the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, Berri noted that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat weighs the political impact of certain decisions rather than referring to the law. He said that the PSP chief suggested that the parliament discusses one item which is the renewal of the Central Bank governor’s term in office.
Berri said that some parties want to impose a “veiled dictatorship,” to sweep away democracy, the parliament and paralyze the constitutional institutions.
As Safir quoted the speaker as saying that “if any premier-designate consumes a long time in his attempt to form the cabinet –whether on purpose or forcibly—without giving up his task, this is bound to take the country into vacuum and paralysis.”
“The presidency can’t do anything and the parliament would be disabled,” he said about the debate on the constitutionality of holding a parliamentary session in the absence of a government.
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