Berri Warns of Persistence of Dispute between Miqati, March 14 Opposition in 2013

Speaker Nabih Berri voiced his concern over a number of impending issues set to be tackled in 2013, including the ongoing dispute over a parliamentary electoral law, reported the daily An Nahar on Tuesday.

He expressed his fear “over the ongoing lack of communication between Prime Minister Najib Miqati and the March 14 opposition and its impact on the country.

Moreover, he he told the daily that Lebanon is set to face the beginning of the trials of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon tackling the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.

The trial is set to begin in March 2013 with the speaker noting that it is expected to summon some 500 witnesses, mostly Lebanese people.

As for the parliamentary elections, Berri hoped that the rival March 8 and 14 camps would reach an agreement over a new electoral law given that they had voiced their objection of the 1960s law.

“The rejection calls for a need to speed up the process of reaching an agreement over a new law,” he remarked.

The March 14 camp had announced on Monday its agreement to return to the parliamentary subcommittee meeting aimed at tackling the new law.

The opposition had announced its boycott of government-related work in light of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan on October 19.

It accused Syria of being behind the crime and blamed the government of covering up for the criminals, demanding its resignation as a condition to ending its boycott.

“A reassuring political atmosphere would be achieved in Lebanon” should the political powers successfully face the challenge of the new electoral law, the STL, and ending the dispute between the March 14 camp and Miqati, stressed Berri.