Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urges new opposition to get used to fact that it is not majority anymore

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urged the new majority to get used to the fact that it became in the government and not in the opposition anymore.

“Some members in the cabinet still need time to adapt with the new situation,” the Speaker said in an interview with Lebanese daily As-Safir.

Berri said that the conduct of Prime Minister Najib Miqati and his government was encouraging and promising. He pointed in this context to a number of steps taken by Miqati, such as his latest visit to southern Lebanon, as well as the cabinet’s recent agreement on various appointments in state positions.

He stressed the importance of exerting efforts to intensify the government’s weekly meetings. He said that practical resolutions should be taken by the government, so that citizens would feel the difference.

Berri suggested that the cabinet should hold a special session to highlight the basis and the principles that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel should follow while drafting the elections law. “The cabinet has to decide whether to follow the proportional principle or not and resolve the women quota in the cabinet, as well as other major issues. All this facilitates the task of the interior minister,” Berri said.

The Speaker remarked that the electoral law should be completed at least one year ahead of the election date. “With every elections year we wait till the last minute to draft the law under pressure,” he remarked. “We should learn from our past experiences and accomplish our mission as soon as possible,” he said.

Berri declared that he supports adopting the law of proportionality that is based on considering Lebanon as one electoral district. He said adopting such law would guarantee right and comprehensive representation and pave the way for deleting political sectarianism at a later stage,” he said. “This formula also forces the candidates to moderate their speeches,” Berri said.

Yet, Berri admitted that he might lose some of his lawmakers in the south, as a result of adopting this law. “However, I’ll be able to compensate in other places, given that the important thing is that Lebanon wins at the end.” He warned against the dangers of the current law, slamming it as a catastrophe.

Berri, meanwhile, stressed that the demarcation of the maritime borders was a priority. He noted that he will continue to seriously follow-up this issue. “The enemy doesn’t recognize the International Court of Justice and didn’t join it,” so heading to file a complaint in it will not benefit Lebanon. However, “we are heading towards a diplomatic battle at the United Nations,” Berri said.