Berri Seeking to Extend Parliament's Term before Month's End
Speaker Nabih Berri has intensified his contacts with various political powers in order to garner their approval over the extension of parliament's term given their failure to agree on a parliamentary electoral law, said media reports on Friday.
An Nahar daily stated that Berri is seeking to extend the term before the end of May, while parliament's tenure ends on June 19.
He is seeking to extend the term to a year-and-a-half or two, adding that he is opposed to a six-month extension, continued the daily.
He explained that situation in the country and the tensions, especially those in the northern city of Tripoli, will prevent the staging of the elections “in a normal manner,” it added.
The speaker's efforts however are expected to be met with the March 14 camp's opposition, as some of its prominent sources told An Nahar that Mustaqbal, Lebanese Forces, Phalange Party, and independent Christian MPs reject the extension for two years.
Berri is expected to hold talks later on Friday with head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora to tackle the extension of parliament's term and agree on how long the extension should be.
Al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday that a meeting was held at the Center House on Thursday between Saniora, LF MP George Adwan, Phalange MP Sami Gemayel, and Mustaqbal officials to discuss the extension.
Sources from the meeting said that the gatherers agreed that parliament's term should not be extended for more than four or six months.
Meanwhile, An Nahar revealed that President Michel Suleiman had reportedly agreed to a six-month extension that would not be renewed.
Berri had held talks on Thursday night with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, who supports the extension as does the March 8 camp, excluding Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun.
An Nahar said that efforts would be exerted to garner Aoun's consent in order for the a majority to be reached at parliament to extend its term.
Aoun has been insisting on staging the parliamentary elections as scheduled on June 16.
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