Berri: "Chatah is a liar, the same as his master"

Source: nowlebnaon.com, 21-02-2009

Speaker Nabih Berri, in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday, accused Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and Finance Minister Mohammad Chatah of retreating from the previously reached agreement to provide the Council of the South with 60 billion LL. Berri rejected compromising on any amount less than this sum.

"Chatah is a liar, the same as his master," Berri said.

He added that if the cabinet had voted to approval the 2009 draft budget during its last session on Thursday, the opposition would have been able to defeat the motion as two majority ministers were absent and opposition ministers, Democratic Gathering bloc ministers and Defense Minister Elias Murr all supported the Council of the South's budget.

Berri said Transport and Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi saved Saniora from significant embarrassment when he suggested forming a ministerial committee to follow up the budget issue.

He added the situation might have forced Saniora to resign if he and Chatah had not been able to ensure the cabinet approved the reduction of the Council for South's budget.

Speaking on Saniora's possible candidacy in Saida for the upcoming parliamentary elections, Berri said this issue was "positive," adding "let us see Saniora's position."