Lebanon Must Not Miss Chance to Chair Arab League Ministerial Council, Says Speaker

Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed that Lebanon will chair the Arab League Ministerial Council in September, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday.

He told the newspaper: “This opportunity comes once every 11 years and Lebanon must not miss it.”

He added that contrary to reports, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat agrees with this position.

Jumblat reportedly objected to Lebanon’s chairing of the council because of the government’s disassociation policy on the developments in Syria.

On Tuesday, As Safir newspaper spoke of divisions among top Lebanese officials over this issue.

Presidential sources told the newspaper that pragmatic consultations are underway on whether Lebanon should preside the Council for a six-month period starting September 5.

Some officials have expressed fears that Lebanon’s chairmanship would harm the policy that the country has adopted since the eruption of the Syrian revolution in March 2011.

Lebanon has been distancing itself from the uprising in Syria which started as peaceful demonstrations against the Assad regime but turned into a bloody crackdown that has so far led to 25,000 deaths.

As Safir quoted a cabinet minister loyal to Jumblat as saying that the PSP ministers and those loyal to President Michel Suleiman prefer to reject Lebanon’s mission in the Arab League and ask Libya to take over the chairmanship of the Ministerial Council.

But the AMAL movement, Hizbullah leaderships, and remaining members of the March 8 majority coalition that make up most of the government’s membership believe that the Syrian crisis needs an Arab voice similar to that of Lebanon that is acceptable by both the Syrian regime and the opposition, As Safir said.

According to informed diplomatic sources, Lebanon’s chairmanship of the Ministerial Council would be an opportunity for the country to consecrate its official policy of steering itself clear of the Syrian crisis.