Berri Lashes Out at MPs, Wonders if Parliament Exists to Only Pay their Salaries

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed regret on Friday over the ongoing political crises, stressing that lawmakers are expected to assume their responsibilities if they expect to be paid their salaries.

“The don't want the parliament to convene, they don't want to elect a new president nor endorse draft-laws... Does the parliament only exist for MPs to be paid salaries?” Berri wondered in comments published in several local newspapers.

The speaker held onto his stance, rejecting the extension of the parliament's term anew.

“The security situation in the country allows us to stage the elections,” he pointed out, warning that the failure to carry out the parliamentary elections would only widen the vacuum that is hitting the presidency post.

“Failing to carry out elections will only increase vacuum. We would then have no president, government or parliament.”

Last year, the parliament extended its term to November 2014 after the rival MPs were unable to reach an agreement on a new law to govern the elections.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 25. The March 8 and 14 alliances were unable to choose a successor to Michel Suleiman over their differences on a compromise candidate.

Their rivalry spilled over into parliament which has failed to hold sessions over the boycott of several blocs that claimed MPs cannot legislate amid a vacuum at Baabda Palace.

Asked about a spending decree that is threatening to delay the salaries of public employees, Berri said that forewarned that the employees will not be paid their salaries if the parliament didn't endorse a draft-law in this regard.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who is Berri's adviser, expressed fear recently that civil servants would not be paid their salaries at the end of the month because of the paralysis of parliament.

However, al-Mustaqbal movement, which is affiliated in the March 14 alliance, is insisting that the only solution to the spending row is for Khalil to submit the state's 2014 budget draft-law to the parliament.

“I will not allow anyone to violate the law,” the AMAL movement leader said.

He described the ongoing dialogue with al-Mustaqbal movement as “negative,” considering it as a sign for Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.

Jumblat revealed recently in excerpts to local newspapers that a meeting was lately held between Berri's adviser Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Nader Hariri, head of ex-PM Hariri's office.

He has said that he mediated to bring AMAL movement and al-Mustaqbal movement closer.

H.K.