Berri Says Cabinet ‘Killing Time,’ Calls for Mobilization to Preserve Oil Resources
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri has found no reason in postponing Thursday’s cabinet session and reiterated that he would hold the government accountable if it continues to procrastinate on decisions linked to oil exploration.
There was no justification in postponing the session “amid the circumstances and the strikes carried out by more than one sector,” An Nahar daily on Saturday quoted Berri as saying.
The newspaper also said that the speaker is pressuring the government to finalize the bills on oil exploration and work on delineating the maritime border with Israel to preserve Lebanon’s oil and gas resources.
Berri told his visitors that the government is “killing time and it should set a special cabinet session to discuss” the oil issue.
“I made a huge progress in this file and the government should follow-up the mission,” he stressed.
The speaker also hinted that he would let parliament hold the cabinet accountable if it doesn’t take new measures next week “because Lebanon’s sovereignty on its maritime border and the preservation of its oil resources … impose a mobilization by everyone.”
Parliament passed a law in 2010 authorizing exploration and drilling of offshore oil and gas fields but the government is procrastinating in establishing an administrative state oil body, which is holding up plans to launch tenders for oil exploration.
Lebanon has asked the United Nations to intervene to prevent a conflict with Israel over exploration areas because it claims that some Israeli fields stretch into its waters.
05 May 2012, 08:55
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it looks like this government is going to implode from within soon.
05 May 2012, 12:50
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Every political faction in our "government" is trying to be the one in control of these offshore natural resources. Has our political class ever done anything meaningful for us without first filling their own pockets? Don’t just follow your father's or uncle's footsteps without seeing how these politicians are manipulating us and exploiting our fears for their own gain. How many times must we be fooled into believing that they are interested in our future or that of our families, our children, our environment, our country before we say "ENOUGH!"? It doesn't matter whether they're M8 or M16, because our politicians are against us all no matter how much they sometimes make us feel otherwise. These games they play to foment fear in us are so predictable. Do not be cynical. Instead be upright, open-minded, have good-faith, and find common ground with those we've been told to hate. Do it for the future of Lebanon.
05 May 2012, 13:55
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"if it continues to procrastinate on decisions linked to oil exploration."
why don t you say that for the decisions linked to improve the daily lives of the citizens? seems there are no problems in lebanon apart oil research and bill spending!
when are they going to think about the problems of the lebanese people? i guess never as it doesn t fill there bank accounts! tfeh 3aleyhoum
05 May 2012, 15:10
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:-) I mean we are many disliking our politicians, and still we dont see any new political parties taking form, speaking out what we really feel.
