Berri Backs Jumblat Proposal on 'National Aspect' of Presidential Polls
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he backed a proposal made by Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat to give Lebanon's presidential elections a wider patriotic aspect rather than limiting its discussion to Christians.
But in remarks published in several local newspapers on Monday, Berri stressed that no solution was looming in the horizon on the presidential deadlock.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since May last year when President Michel Suleiman's term ended. The rival MPs have been unable to elect a successor over their differences on a compromise candidate.
The country's top Christian post is reserved for Christian Maronites in accordance with the National Pact of 1943.
Jumblat made his proposal in his weekly editorial in the PSP's al-Anbaa electronic magazine on Sunday.
He reiterated on Monday that the election of a president is not just a Christian responsibility.
“It is the responsibility of the country’s all factions and we should not continue to neglect it,” the PSP chief told An Nahar daily.
He denied however that he was referring to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who are both presidential candidates.
In the remarks, which Berri made to his visitors and were published in the newspapers on Monday, the speaker said the campaign to remove party banners, flags and portraits was “more successful than we expected.”
The campaign was the result of the dialogue held between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement under Berri's sponsorship in Ain el-Tineh.
Berri also said that a security plan for the eastern Bekaa Valley is ready and is awaiting the right time for the Lebanese army and security forces to implement it.
The issue was discussed in the latest round of talks between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal, he said.
The date of the next session hasn't been set yet, Berri added.
G.K.
H.K.
09 February 2015, 07:44
03
The country's top Christian post is reserved for Christian Maronites in accordance with the National Pact of 1943.
- You don't say!
09 February 2015, 07:46
03
What's up with Berri and Jumbo agreeing on everything lately? They're like best buds. The last time they met, they must've been reminiscing about the civil war, looking at pictures of them posing with guns and shooting them.
09 February 2015, 08:19
10
@nickjames
Leave it to the Christian leaders to louse up things so the country remains with out a president
09 February 2015, 08:35
13
I'm not sure what you're getting at. I never said anything about leaving it to Christians. And how can we leave it to the Christians when a Christian leader boycotts Parliament? The people need to march in Downtown, overthrow the government, arrest the leaders, outlaw all the current political parties, write a new constitution, remove the confessional system; and let's join the 21st century. It's funny how we're now in 2015 yet the people leading this country were around in the 1970s.
09 February 2015, 08:42
15
the new generation is worse: they are the flamethrowers, the mowatens, and the mystics, etc.
09 February 2015, 08:53
22
@nickjames
I agree with your above comment. All I was trying to say is that our Christian leaders are so divided and what makes it worst is that they are corrupt warlords. I think all our leaders are corrupt, and should be arrested and tried for corruption, cronyism. It is time to put new blood in office and put the intelligent and educated to redress the country
09 February 2015, 09:04
12
I see what you meant now. I thought you were directing the sarcasm at me, I misunderstood you. But yeah the only way Lebanon can get anywhere is if we outlaw Hezbollah and the only way to do that is make an international anti-Hezbollah coalition and drop airstrikes on them
09 February 2015, 09:56
22
The problem with Hezbollah is that it is armed and serving the Islamic Republic of Iran's interests. They are not only allied to Iran, as is the case with Al Mustaqbal and Saudi Arabia, but they kill on its behalf.
Hezbollah today is more powerful than the Lebanese police and army combined. Furthermore, Hezbollah has as many Lebanese allies and supporters as March 14.
We cannot use force to disarm them. This will result in a new civil war.
The disarmement of Hezbollah is closely linked to regional politics. Meanwhile, we should aim to do the best we can to ensure peace, stability and economic development in our country.
09 February 2015, 10:15
21
Moreover, we cannot engage in a serious dialogue about constituitonal reforms with a militia that has not intentions of giving up its weapons simply because Hezbollah has proven that it will use its weapons against other Lebanese in order to get their way.
As for the presidency, it has been taken hostage by Michel Aoun, the way Berri took hostage the parliament and the way Hariri took hostage the prime minister's post.
If Aoun was a stable person, it could somehow make sense to give him the presidency, given the sectarian hold on key posts.
And Aoun represents the majority of christian votes.
Yes the Lebanese chrisitian tribe voted for him more than they voted for Geagea or Gemayel. That is the logic and unfortunately the Lebanese voters have proven again and again that they are motivated by fear, hate, sectarianism, racism and money (of course).
09 February 2015, 13:16
02
"It's funny how we're now in 2015 yet the people leading this country were around in the 1970s."
it may be funny the way you put it, but it's far less funny when you remember to mention that these same leaders have sent countless families to kill each others in their names.
09 February 2015, 13:17
02
"It's funny how we're now in 2015 yet the people leading this country were around in the 1970s."
it may be funny the way you put it, but it's far less funny when you remember to mention that these same leaders have sent countless families to kill each others in their names.
09 February 2015, 13:17
02
"It's funny how we're now in 2015 yet the people leading this country were around in the 1970s."
it may be funny the way you put it, but it's far less funny when you remember to mention that these same leaders have sent countless families to kill each others in their names.
09 February 2015, 18:43
02
Oh I'm sorry to include the Lebanese Aouniyeh Forces in the 1980s... Did you really just try to exclude the Généwal from the list of corrupt warlords looooool "but nickjames give me one proof Aoun was corrupt"; remember this convo we had??
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/166513-report-jumblat-postpones-resignation-at-berri-s-insistence
And did you ever read this article about Aoun being a traitor?http://www.thewatchersnetwork.com/cobra/index27.html
09 February 2015, 11:34
14
All this has one obvious conclusion : the destruction of the top institution by the Caporal and Ebola...REJOICE followers of traitors and destructors of the Christians....you do not see the dangers...
09 February 2015, 11:56
14
Ebola wants to become "the state in place of the state" and they are using a traitor to reach their goal.
Brainwashed followers are equally responsible.
09 February 2015, 16:18
00
Shias are the majority but their rights are been usurped by the Christians who are less that 20% but have half of parliament the presidency, the head of the army and the central bank.
