Speaker Nabih Berri criticized on Wednesday the reluctance of judiciary to try a large number of prisoners detained at Roumieh prison.

He told An Nahar daily that the tour of Heath Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to Roumieh prison revealed a “chronic negligence.”

A scandal of red diesel has hit Lebanon after the residents of the country’s coldest areas, who were supposed to take advantage of a temporary government slash of Value Added Tax, suffered from shortages.

During a meeting of Parliament’s Finance Committee on Tuesday, a member of Speaker Nabih Berri’s Development and Liberation bloc, MP Yassine Jaber, stirred the issue of the red diesel shortage during the one-month VAT slash of LL3,000.

Severe power rationing is likely to exacerbate already strained ties among officials over the reasons behind the delay in the implementation of electricity projects as the scorching heat of the summer season approaches.

Premier Najib Miqati told As Safir daily published Wednesday that the government had made contacts with companies that lease power-generating ships.

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon ad interim Robert Watkins revealed on Tuesday that preparations were underway for the next report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, which is due to be sent to the Security Council by the end of February.

He said after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri: “I praised the role the speaker and other Lebanese officials have played during the past months to safeguard Lebanon’s stability and security during a time of dramatic regional developments, which is also very important for the smooth implementation of resolution 1701.”

Speaker Nabih Berri urged Energy Minister Jebran Bassil to come up with a clear plan to resolve the electricity crisis, saying parliament has done its part in endorsing a draft law.

Several newspapers on Monday quoted Berri as telling his visitors that he rejected claims by Bassil about deterioration in the electricity situation in the future.

Speaker Nabih Berri has made major progress in bridging sharp differences between the March 8 and 14 members of parliament’s finance and budget committee after the opposition MPs boycotted it.

An Nahar daily said Sunday that Berri will head a meeting of the committee on Wednesday after he exerted strong efforts to revive the work of the group.

Former PM Saad Hariri broke his left leg while skiing in the French Alps, said his press office in a statement on Saturday.

He underwent a successful three-hour surgery in the American Hospital of Paris.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Friday the importance of Lebanon exploiting its petroleum wealth, saying that the oil will bring the country economic comfort.

He added before members of the Editors Syndicate: “The state appointments and formation of the petroleum regulatory authority should be a priority for the government.”

Speaker Nabih Berri noted on Wednesday that Lebanon may act as a center for dialogue in the region.

He stressed before a consular delegation: “It is in the country’s best interest to keep a distance from external affairs.”

President Michel Suleiman called on Wednesday for the amendment of the constitution, saying the appointment of top civil servants should be through the majority vote of cabinet ministers rather than the two thirds.

In remarks to As Safir newspaper, Suleiman said: “I have said on many occasions that the cabinet has a limited productivity and this is obvious in the administrative appointments.”