Lebanon: Berri is in a hurry to put and end to the political paralysis
Speaker of the Lebanese House of Representatives Nabih Berri, who recently backed away from an initiative by parliamentary blocs to agree on a new president, issued warnings that Lebanon is no longer likely to continue the status quo, stressing the need to quickly elect a new president and end the presidential vacancy.
Berri said Lebanon would not tolerate more weeks, pointing out that a continued constitutional vacuum would exacerbate financial troubles while the country is suffering under the worst crisis of all time. He was referring to the political paralysis that is blocking a necessary reform path demanded by the International Monetary Fund to release international loans and grants in billions that Lebanon is betting on to put an end to the financial turmoil.
Since early September, MPs have failed four times to elect a president to succeed outgoing Michel Aoun. “A presidential vacuum has taken place since the beginning of November, while the caretaker government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati continues to run the country but is unable to take or approve any decision as it has no constitutional powers to do so.”
Aoun accepted the resignation of the government at the last minute, opening the door for a political debate on the constitutionality of the government, in a move that appeared to be a reaction to the dispute with Mikati, and to give his allies, led by Hezbollah, the opportunity to manage the political game comfortably, while many candidates, including at least two of Hezbollah’s allies, Suleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada Movement, former Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law, and the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, vied in the race to the Baabda Palace
During a meeting with Lebanese Press Syndicate head Aouni Kaaki and members of the syndicate’s council on Monday, Berri said that “the first priority is to elect a new president for the country” and called for “consensus in this regard,” according to a statement from Berri’s office.
“In the face of the accumulation of crises, the biggest of which is the economic crisis, as 80% of the Lebanese population is below the poverty line, not to mention the electricity crisis, which we spent tens of billions on, and the dialog with the International Monetary Fund, all of this must lead to the rapid election of a president of the republic,” he said.
Berri warned that “Lebanon may be able to bear weeks, but it cannot bear more than that, and Lebanon and the Lebanese cannot afford to deteriorate further,” announcing that he will call for a session every week to elect a president.
“All the contentious issues that Lebanon went through ended with dialog and consensus, from the Taif Agreement of 1989 to Doha of 2008 to the dialog tables inside the country,” he said.
“The security situation in Lebanon is immune, and the Lebanese people have awareness, which prevents them from being dragged into the abyss of war and strife,” he said.
According to observers, agreement on the election of a president of Lebanon awaits regional and international agreements and may be linked to the maritime border demarcation agreement signed with Israel on October 27th under US mediation.
The term of office of the President of Lebanon is six years non-renewable and he may not be re-elected to the same office until six years after the end of his first term.
