Berri accuses Saniora of usurping power, blocking solution to crisis
\r\nSource: Compiled, Agencies, 11-04-2008
\r\nBEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Prime Minister Fouad Saniora on Thursday of seizing Lebanon\'s presidential post and "usurping power", blocking state institutions and obstructing dialogue.
\r\nBerri also slammed Saniora for refusing to take part in a national dialogue that has been called for by the speaker on Wednesday said he would not participate in dialogue that is held under the auspices of the "stalwart of the opposition," referring to Berri.
\r\nPM Saniora earlier said he does not object to dialogue, as long as it is not mediated by Berri, who he describes as the head of the opposition.
\r\nBerri has called for reviving the dialogue that started in November 2006 with two extra items on the agenda: the establishment of a national-unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law.
\r\nThe majority has been stressing on the need to implement the decisions made at the national dialogue, especially concerning the drawing of the border with Syria, diplomatic representation and the Lebanese detainees in Syria.
\r\nBerri also questioned why Saniora had agreed to take part in earlier dialogue sessions that were similarly called for by the speaker. "It seems that Saniora sees a solution to the crisis in the offing and wants to stop it," Berri said.
\r\nAlso on Thursday, the speaker received a phone call from French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
\r\nKouchner told Berri that he is welcome to visit France at any time, adding that France supports national dialogue among the Lebanese. Kouchner and Berri had exchanged criticism earlier this week.
\r\nMeanwhile, Saniora ended his Arab tour, which included visits to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
\r\nThe tour was reportedly aimed at garnering support for the holding of an Arab foreign ministers\' meeting to discuss the strained relations between Beirut and Damascus.
\r\nGovernmental sources told LBC television on Thursday that Saniora has not yet officially requested the holding of such meeting, adding that the prime minister is not likely to file such a request any time soon. Saniora on Thursday headed a ministerial meeting, during which he briefed a number of ministers on the outcome of his talks with different Arab leaders.
\r\nGovernment sources quoted Saniora as having told the ministers that the Lebanese stalemate was nowhere close to its end, adding that the crisis might well escalate soon.
\r\nSaniora briefed the country\'s religious leaders on the outcome of his Arab tour.
\r\nHe also contacted the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Michel Suleiman, MP Michel Murr, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, and Lebanese Forces boss Samir Geagea to brief them on the outcome of talks that he held with the different Arab leaders.
\r\nAlso on Thursday, Saniora discussed in a phone conversation with Arab League chief Amr Moussa the latest developments of the Lebanese crisis.
\r\nGovernment sources told The Daily Star that Moussa was not likely to return to Lebanon soon. The sources added that Saniora is preparing to head for another Arab tour which is expected to include Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
\r\nMeanwhile Amal Movement MP Ali Hassan Khalil said that Berri wanted to leave the door open for talks with all parties, including those who were against holding national dialogue.
\r\n"We\'d better wait until Berri visits Saudi Arabia and listens to the positions of Saudi officials on the issue of holding dialogue," Khalil told LBC television.
\r\nMeanwhile Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said "We call things by their names, in that Saudi-Egyptian relations with sister Syria do not appear to be at their best".
\r\nHe was speaking after talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah in Sharm el-Sheikh.
\r\nAwad said that Mubarak and Abdullah had agreed that moving the situation in Lebanon is the key to an improvement in Arab relations.
\r\n"Egypt and Saudi Arabia know who has a duty to do what so that a real rapprochement can take place. Improving the situation comes about by deeds, not words, not by expressions of good intentions," he added.
\r\nThe leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia have boycotted the recent Arab summit in Damascus after differences over managing the crisis in Lebanon.
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\r\nBEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Prime Minister Fouad Saniora on Thursday of seizing Lebanon\'s presidential post and "usurping power", blocking state institutions and obstructing dialogue.
\r\nBerri also slammed Saniora for refusing to take part in a national dialogue that has been called for by the speaker on Wednesday said he would not participate in dialogue that is held under the auspices of the "stalwart of the opposition," referring to Berri.
\r\nPM Saniora earlier said he does not object to dialogue, as long as it is not mediated by Berri, who he describes as the head of the opposition.
\r\nBerri has called for reviving the dialogue that started in November 2006 with two extra items on the agenda: the establishment of a national-unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law.
\r\nThe majority has been stressing on the need to implement the decisions made at the national dialogue, especially concerning the drawing of the border with Syria, diplomatic representation and the Lebanese detainees in Syria.
\r\nBerri also questioned why Saniora had agreed to take part in earlier dialogue sessions that were similarly called for by the speaker. "It seems that Saniora sees a solution to the crisis in the offing and wants to stop it," Berri said.
\r\nAlso on Thursday, the speaker received a phone call from French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
\r\nKouchner told Berri that he is welcome to visit France at any time, adding that France supports national dialogue among the Lebanese. Kouchner and Berri had exchanged criticism earlier this week.
\r\nMeanwhile, Saniora ended his Arab tour, which included visits to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
\r\nThe tour was reportedly aimed at garnering support for the holding of an Arab foreign ministers\' meeting to discuss the strained relations between Beirut and Damascus.
\r\nGovernmental sources told LBC television on Thursday that Saniora has not yet officially requested the holding of such meeting, adding that the prime minister is not likely to file such a request any time soon. Saniora on Thursday headed a ministerial meeting, during which he briefed a number of ministers on the outcome of his talks with different Arab leaders.
\r\nGovernment sources quoted Saniora as having told the ministers that the Lebanese stalemate was nowhere close to its end, adding that the crisis might well escalate soon.
\r\nSaniora briefed the country\'s religious leaders on the outcome of his Arab tour.
\r\nHe also contacted the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Michel Suleiman, MP Michel Murr, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, and Lebanese Forces boss Samir Geagea to brief them on the outcome of talks that he held with the different Arab leaders.
\r\nAlso on Thursday, Saniora discussed in a phone conversation with Arab League chief Amr Moussa the latest developments of the Lebanese crisis.
\r\nGovernment sources told The Daily Star that Moussa was not likely to return to Lebanon soon. The sources added that Saniora is preparing to head for another Arab tour which is expected to include Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
\r\nMeanwhile Amal Movement MP Ali Hassan Khalil said that Berri wanted to leave the door open for talks with all parties, including those who were against holding national dialogue.
\r\n"We\'d better wait until Berri visits Saudi Arabia and listens to the positions of Saudi officials on the issue of holding dialogue," Khalil told LBC television.
\r\nMeanwhile Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said "We call things by their names, in that Saudi-Egyptian relations with sister Syria do not appear to be at their best".
\r\nHe was speaking after talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah in Sharm el-Sheikh.
\r\nAwad said that Mubarak and Abdullah had agreed that moving the situation in Lebanon is the key to an improvement in Arab relations.
\r\n"Egypt and Saudi Arabia know who has a duty to do what so that a real rapprochement can take place. Improving the situation comes about by deeds, not words, not by expressions of good intentions," he added.
\r\nThe leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia have boycotted the recent Arab summit in Damascus after differences over managing the crisis in Lebanon.
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