Berri accuses Hariri of sinking possible breakthrough
Source: Daily Star, 12-2-2008
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri expressed disappointment at the loss of a "golden opportunity" to elect a consensus president on Monday, accusing parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri-Profile Sep-07 of refusing a 10+10+10 distribution of seats posts in a new Cabinet after initially proposing it during a meeting with rival leaders and Arab League chief Amr Moussa last Friday.
The opposition maintains that the only interpretation of the Arab League plan is to give the majority, the opposition and the president an equal number of ministers in a 30-member national unity government.
Sources close to Berri told The Daily Star that Hariri had "tabled" the 10+10+10 formula in the early stages of the meeting with Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and former President Amin Gemayel, which was chaired by Moussa.
"Aoun wanted to consult his allies and he called Speaker Berri just after 12:30 p.m. Friday to ask him about this formula, whether to accept it or not, Berri told him 'Don't hesitate, go ahead with it,'" Ali Hamdan, Berri's top aide said, adding that the speaker wondered whether "regional or international" players had pressured Hariri to withdraw his acceptance.
Berri "was meeting with Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja when he got the call from Aoun and conveyed a message to Hariri through Khoja to the effect that he was ready to secure 92 MPs and elect a president on Monday," Hamdan said. "There was no reply from Hariri."
Hariri's spokesperson was unavailable for comment despite The Daily Star's repeated attempts to reach him.
Berri had told Moussa that he was ready to reopen Parliament February 11 and go down with 92 MPs to vote for a new president if the 10+10+10 formula was accepted. "Moussa should have closed the meeting at the point agreement on this formula was reached and announced the breakthrough, but he did not," Hamdan said.
He said that what the majority had dubbed "unreasonable demands" that Aoun had discussed during the meeting were in fact part of a nine-point list discussed and agreed on between Berri and Moussa.
The list included that no party should hinder or topple the new government and that it should remain in power to oversee the 2009 general elections. It also introduced the proviso that in a 10+10+10 Cabinet any decision requiring a two-thirds vote in Cabinet must be agreed on via consensus by all ministers.
"The speaker still believes the Arab League initiative is an excellent solution and the only remedy for the Lebanese crisis," Hamdan said, but he added that Berri did not feel postponing the next meeting until February 24 was necessary.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday that he hopes the deadlock will be resolved by late next month when Damascus hosts the Arab summit on March 29 and 30.
"We hope the efforts of Amr Moussa will bring about a solution ... before the holding of the Arab summit," he said.
"Syria supports the Arab initiative as an overall plan which would be implemented by consensus between the Lebanese," he told a joint news conference with visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.
Meanwhile, fears are mounting that fiery speeches by 'March (Feb.) 14' politicians to rally supporters for Thursday's demonstration to commemorate former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination will increase tensions and the likelihood of violence.
Berri told As-Safir newspaper Sunday that the former premier "died for Lebanon" and that the challenge for 'March (Feb.) 14' on February 14 is to reaffirm that fact and "make it an occasion which unites the Lebanese and not one that divides and destroys Lebanon."
Berri said he had worked hard to "pave the road to consensus" but that his efforts were always "shot down." He warned that the country can't take much more.
"Consensus is vital for Lebanon's and the Arabs' sake. It's in no one's interest not to have consensus," Berri said.
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri expressed disappointment at the loss of a "golden opportunity" to elect a consensus president on Monday, accusing parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri-Profile Sep-07 of refusing a 10+10+10 distribution of seats posts in a new Cabinet after initially proposing it during a meeting with rival leaders and Arab League chief Amr Moussa last Friday.
The opposition maintains that the only interpretation of the Arab League plan is to give the majority, the opposition and the president an equal number of ministers in a 30-member national unity government.
Sources close to Berri told The Daily Star that Hariri had "tabled" the 10+10+10 formula in the early stages of the meeting with Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and former President Amin Gemayel, which was chaired by Moussa.
"Aoun wanted to consult his allies and he called Speaker Berri just after 12:30 p.m. Friday to ask him about this formula, whether to accept it or not, Berri told him 'Don't hesitate, go ahead with it,'" Ali Hamdan, Berri's top aide said, adding that the speaker wondered whether "regional or international" players had pressured Hariri to withdraw his acceptance.
Berri "was meeting with Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja when he got the call from Aoun and conveyed a message to Hariri through Khoja to the effect that he was ready to secure 92 MPs and elect a president on Monday," Hamdan said. "There was no reply from Hariri."
Hariri's spokesperson was unavailable for comment despite The Daily Star's repeated attempts to reach him.
Berri had told Moussa that he was ready to reopen Parliament February 11 and go down with 92 MPs to vote for a new president if the 10+10+10 formula was accepted. "Moussa should have closed the meeting at the point agreement on this formula was reached and announced the breakthrough, but he did not," Hamdan said.
He said that what the majority had dubbed "unreasonable demands" that Aoun had discussed during the meeting were in fact part of a nine-point list discussed and agreed on between Berri and Moussa.
The list included that no party should hinder or topple the new government and that it should remain in power to oversee the 2009 general elections. It also introduced the proviso that in a 10+10+10 Cabinet any decision requiring a two-thirds vote in Cabinet must be agreed on via consensus by all ministers.
"The speaker still believes the Arab League initiative is an excellent solution and the only remedy for the Lebanese crisis," Hamdan said, but he added that Berri did not feel postponing the next meeting until February 24 was necessary.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday that he hopes the deadlock will be resolved by late next month when Damascus hosts the Arab summit on March 29 and 30.
"We hope the efforts of Amr Moussa will bring about a solution ... before the holding of the Arab summit," he said.
"Syria supports the Arab initiative as an overall plan which would be implemented by consensus between the Lebanese," he told a joint news conference with visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.
Meanwhile, fears are mounting that fiery speeches by 'March (Feb.) 14' politicians to rally supporters for Thursday's demonstration to commemorate former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination will increase tensions and the likelihood of violence.
Berri told As-Safir newspaper Sunday that the former premier "died for Lebanon" and that the challenge for 'March (Feb.) 14' on February 14 is to reaffirm that fact and "make it an occasion which unites the Lebanese and not one that divides and destroys Lebanon."
Berri said he had worked hard to "pave the road to consensus" but that his efforts were always "shot down." He warned that the country can't take much more.
"Consensus is vital for Lebanon's and the Arabs' sake. It's in no one's interest not to have consensus," Berri said.
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