Berri: Intense Efforts Underway to Finalize Policy Statement to Avoid Cabinet’s Resignation

Speaker Nabih Berri stated on Wednesday that intense efforts are being exerted to speed up the drafting of the government policy statement within the next few days.

He said before MPs during his weekly meeting at parliament: “Based on the constitution, 30 days are given for the policy statement to be finalized … and therefore should the committee fail to do so within the deadline, the cabinet will be considered resigned, becoming a caretaker government.”

“I am not afraid despite the tensions and God willing we will overcome all the pressure we are enduring,” he was quoted as saying by the MPs.

In addition, Berri noted that it appears as if a race is underway between the completion of the policy statement and the release of the indictment in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that such comparisons are aimed at hampering the government’s efforts.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Speaker warned if the new cabinet led by PM Najib Miqati failed to draft the policy statement before July 13, it will have to resign and turn into a caretaking government.

“This requires the launching of new parliamentary consultations to task a new Prime Minister,” Berri told An Nahar newspaper on Wednesday.

“If the grace period ended without drafting the policy statement, I will call for a parliamentary session on the first Wednesday after July 13,” Berri stressed to As Safir daily.

The speaker said there is jurisprudence that backs this “constitutional interpretation.”

He hoped that the drafting of the ministerial statement ends before that date.

Berri confirmed that there are ongoing contacts to reach an acceptable formula on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, that doesn’t “affect the Lebanese principles.”