Berri: Presidential Elections Postponed for the Benefit of Lebanon
Source: Agencies, 11-03-2008
For the 16th consecutive time since September, a Parliament session to elect a successor to Emile Lahoud has failed amid a standoff between the Western-backed government and the opposition.
Lebanon has been without a president since November, when Lahoud's term ended.
Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri denounced Washington's position over the postponement of Tuesday's session to elect a new president till the 25th of March.
"Have the Americans changed their positions and have become with the Arab initiative to solve the crisis in Lebanon or are they still inciting the Lebanese on sedition through their warships off our coast?" asked Berri.
Development and Liberation bloc noted that the deferral of the Lebanese presidential elections, aimed at giving more home that the Islamic Summit would present more feasible solutions for the Lebanese crisis.
In a statement released after a meeting convened by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, the bloc said that the rumors around the situation in Lebanon "created a state of anxiety and panic among the Lebanese generally and the residents of the south and Bekaa particularly."
"These analyses are full of falsities and exaggerations which do not serve the interests of the nation," the statement read.
The bloc stated that 'Israel' was and would remain the source of all "evil" in Lebanon.
Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc added following their weekly meeting on Monday that the postponement of the election "aimed at giving more opportunities for the Islamic Summit to present more feasible solutions for the Lebanese crisis." The bloc was referring to a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization of the Islamic Conference under way in Dakar, Senegal.
Berri spoke with Arab League chief Amr Moussa by telephone Monday before announcing the delay of the session and to discuss "moves between the two summits (the Islamic Summit this week in Dakar and the Arab Summit in Damascus)..
Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Rida Shibani cited "some political developments that might be useful to solve the crisis." Shibani said that Iran's efforts have been intensified in this regard referring to the meeting between Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers in Cairo and the quartet meeting (Iranian - Syrian - Qatari - Omani FM's) in Damascus.
Arab League Chief Amr Mussa said in Cairo said he still sees necessity to elect a Lebanese president as soon as possible.
Moussa told reporters that he will make a visit to Lebanon, "but not necessarily in the next few days."
Berri stressed solving the Saudi-Syrian crisis for the two countries to resume normal ties is crucial for a solution in Lebanon. "When Arabs shake hands, the Lebanese reconcile immediately."
Lebanon is the only Arab country which has yet to receive an invitation to attend to Arab League summit expected to take place in Damascus on March 29-30.
Whitehouse spokeswoman Dana Perino, speaking after the office of Lebanon's speaker said that a parliamentary session to elect the country's president had been postponed from Tuesday to March 25th warned "that continued delay is unacceptable."!? "We are very concerned," she exclaimed.
Diplomatic sources told As-Safir newspaper Monday that Syria will invite Lebanon to the Arab summit on Wednesday.
The sources said the Arab League chief will deliver the Syrian invitation to the Lebanese mission at the organization's headquarters in Cairo or will send a representative to Beirut to officially invite the Lebanese government.
A Syrian delegation on Sunday delivered an invitation to regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia to join the summit.
The invitation had been slow to come amid strained ties between Riyadh and Damascus over Lebanon's political crisis.
Ruling bloc ministers claimed during an informal meeting on Monday that the Lebanese Cabinet was "the only official authority in the absence of a president."
"As stipulated by the Lebanese Constitution, the government fulfills the duties of the president in case of a presidential void," they said in a statement issued after the meeting.
The meeting also stressed the need to implement the Arab initiative to resolve the 14-month-old deadlock in Lebanon.
The Arab three-point initiative calls for the election of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) General Michel Suleiman as president.
Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt on Monday called for boycotting the forthcoming Arab summit if a president for Lebanon was not elected prior to the gathering.
Meanwhile, the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc said Siniora was not a representative of the Lebanese, hinting that he should not represent Lebanon at the Arab summit.
"Siniora does not represent the true will of the Lebanese and subsequently cannot speak in the name of Lebanon," said MP Ibrahim Kanaan following the bloc's meeting in Rabieh.
Separately, Suleiman said on Monday that he noticed a general desire among all political parties to uphold national unity and civil peace.
While feuding groups agreed on electing Suleiman as the new head of state they remain at odds over the shape of the next government and the new electoral law.
Speaking to a delegation from the Press Club that visited him in the Defense Ministry in Yarzeh, Suleiman said he would work to implement whatever agreement the opposition and ruling majority reached, but insisted he was not involved in discussions which aimed at reaching a solution to the political stalemate as he was still in charge of the national military institution.
"The army's job is to maintain civil peace and this is a duty which surpasses political and sectarian considerations," Suleiman said.
He emphasized the cohesion of the Lebanese Army despite the political vulnerability of the country and its institutions.
Suleiman said the LAF protected the will of the Lebanese people and their determination to coexist in peace.
For the 16th consecutive time since September, a Parliament session to elect a successor to Emile Lahoud has failed amid a standoff between the Western-backed government and the opposition.
Lebanon has been without a president since November, when Lahoud's term ended.
Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri denounced Washington's position over the postponement of Tuesday's session to elect a new president till the 25th of March.
"Have the Americans changed their positions and have become with the Arab initiative to solve the crisis in Lebanon or are they still inciting the Lebanese on sedition through their warships off our coast?" asked Berri.
Development and Liberation bloc noted that the deferral of the Lebanese presidential elections, aimed at giving more home that the Islamic Summit would present more feasible solutions for the Lebanese crisis.
In a statement released after a meeting convened by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, the bloc said that the rumors around the situation in Lebanon "created a state of anxiety and panic among the Lebanese generally and the residents of the south and Bekaa particularly."
"These analyses are full of falsities and exaggerations which do not serve the interests of the nation," the statement read.
The bloc stated that 'Israel' was and would remain the source of all "evil" in Lebanon.
Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc added following their weekly meeting on Monday that the postponement of the election "aimed at giving more opportunities for the Islamic Summit to present more feasible solutions for the Lebanese crisis." The bloc was referring to a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization of the Islamic Conference under way in Dakar, Senegal.
Berri spoke with Arab League chief Amr Moussa by telephone Monday before announcing the delay of the session and to discuss "moves between the two summits (the Islamic Summit this week in Dakar and the Arab Summit in Damascus)..
Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Rida Shibani cited "some political developments that might be useful to solve the crisis." Shibani said that Iran's efforts have been intensified in this regard referring to the meeting between Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers in Cairo and the quartet meeting (Iranian - Syrian - Qatari - Omani FM's) in Damascus.
Arab League Chief Amr Mussa said in Cairo said he still sees necessity to elect a Lebanese president as soon as possible.
Moussa told reporters that he will make a visit to Lebanon, "but not necessarily in the next few days."
Berri stressed solving the Saudi-Syrian crisis for the two countries to resume normal ties is crucial for a solution in Lebanon. "When Arabs shake hands, the Lebanese reconcile immediately."
Lebanon is the only Arab country which has yet to receive an invitation to attend to Arab League summit expected to take place in Damascus on March 29-30.
Whitehouse spokeswoman Dana Perino, speaking after the office of Lebanon's speaker said that a parliamentary session to elect the country's president had been postponed from Tuesday to March 25th warned "that continued delay is unacceptable."!? "We are very concerned," she exclaimed.
Diplomatic sources told As-Safir newspaper Monday that Syria will invite Lebanon to the Arab summit on Wednesday.
The sources said the Arab League chief will deliver the Syrian invitation to the Lebanese mission at the organization's headquarters in Cairo or will send a representative to Beirut to officially invite the Lebanese government.
A Syrian delegation on Sunday delivered an invitation to regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia to join the summit.
The invitation had been slow to come amid strained ties between Riyadh and Damascus over Lebanon's political crisis.
Ruling bloc ministers claimed during an informal meeting on Monday that the Lebanese Cabinet was "the only official authority in the absence of a president."
"As stipulated by the Lebanese Constitution, the government fulfills the duties of the president in case of a presidential void," they said in a statement issued after the meeting.
The meeting also stressed the need to implement the Arab initiative to resolve the 14-month-old deadlock in Lebanon.
The Arab three-point initiative calls for the election of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) General Michel Suleiman as president.
Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt on Monday called for boycotting the forthcoming Arab summit if a president for Lebanon was not elected prior to the gathering.
Meanwhile, the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc said Siniora was not a representative of the Lebanese, hinting that he should not represent Lebanon at the Arab summit.
"Siniora does not represent the true will of the Lebanese and subsequently cannot speak in the name of Lebanon," said MP Ibrahim Kanaan following the bloc's meeting in Rabieh.
Separately, Suleiman said on Monday that he noticed a general desire among all political parties to uphold national unity and civil peace.
While feuding groups agreed on electing Suleiman as the new head of state they remain at odds over the shape of the next government and the new electoral law.
Speaking to a delegation from the Press Club that visited him in the Defense Ministry in Yarzeh, Suleiman said he would work to implement whatever agreement the opposition and ruling majority reached, but insisted he was not involved in discussions which aimed at reaching a solution to the political stalemate as he was still in charge of the national military institution.
"The army's job is to maintain civil peace and this is a duty which surpasses political and sectarian considerations," Suleiman said.
He emphasized the cohesion of the Lebanese Army despite the political vulnerability of the country and its institutions.
Suleiman said the LAF protected the will of the Lebanese people and their determination to coexist in peace.
