Berri Criticizes Opposition over ‘Indecisive’ Decision on Dialogue

Speaker Nabih Berri lashed out at the March 14 alliance over its uncertain decision concerning its participation in the national dialogue session scheduled to convene on Thursday.

He slammed in comments published in As Safir newspaper on Monday the actions of the opposition describing them as “unacceptable,” noting that the dialogue can’t remain the “prisoner of the alliances’ mood.”

Berri pointed out that President Michel Suleiman shouldn’t be waiting for the opposition to decide whether it will attend the session or not until the last few days before the date set for the dialogue session to kick off.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement sources told the daily that its participation at the dialogue table is “being studied,” expecting that the movement would take its final decision during the upcoming two days.

The last session on July 24 was postponed over the rejection of opposition representatives to attend the dialogue.

According to An Nahar newspaper, the August 16 session will be postponed as Prime Minister Najib Miqati will not be in Lebanon and the participants haven’t agreed yet on the meeting’s agenda.

The premier headed on Sunday to Saudi Arabia to attend the extraordinary Islamic solidarity meeting which will be held in Mecca.

March 14 had tied its participation to a government decision to provide security agencies with the so-called telecom data to help them investigate assassination attempts against MP Butros Harb and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.

The telecom data has since been handed over to the security apparatuses.

Another reason for the boycott was Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad’s announcement that the national defense strategy is not currently necessary because Lebanon is still in the liberation stage.