Berri Sets Dialogue Session for September 9

Speaker Nabih Berri has set September 9 as the date for the first dialogue session that will bring together Prime Minister Tammam Salam and the heads of parliamentary blocs.

Earlier, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Tuesday that Salam has urged Berri to bring the date of the national dialogue forward over fears of a prolonged cabinet paralysis.

The newspaper quoted government sources as saying that Salam made the request because he does not intend to keep cabinet sessions suspended pending the end of the dialogue.

Meanwhile, Berri's visitors told al-Mustaqbal that contacts were launched with the leaders of parliamentary blocs to agree on the date for the dialogue.

Hizbullah, ex-PM Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party of MP Walid Jumblat have welcomed Berri's initiative which is aimed at ending the presidential deadlock and allowing the parliament and the government to function.

The Kataeb Party has also praised the speaker's initiative.

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, who is a Kataeb official, told An Nahar daily that the party hoped Berri's efforts would lead to the election of a new president and for the dialogue to have a specific agenda so that it does not get adjourned from one session to the other.

The Lebanese Forces is still studying its stance and the Change and Reform bloc of MP Michel Aoun is expected to announce its position following its weekly meeting on Tuesday.

G.K.

M.T.