Berri: No Justification for all the Fuss on New Parliamentary Majority

Speaker Nabih Berri has brushed off criticism of the transfer of the parliamentary majority from the March 14 to the March 8 forces, saying there is no need for a tumult over the issue.

Berri’s visitors told An Nahar and As Safir dailies in remarks published Friday that it was not the first time power was transferred from one alliance to the other. It happened when Salim Hoss became premier instead of Rafik Hariri during ex-President Emile Lahoud’s term in office.

“We stayed in downtown Beirut for 15 months to ask in vain for former Premier Fouad Saniora’s resignation. Our protest was civilized,” the speaker reportedly said.

And now “we were able in 48 hours and through constitutional means to achieve what we couldn’t achieve in 15 months,” he said about the Hizbullah-led alliance’s nomination of Miqati as premier last month, toppling Saad Hariri’s government.

“There is no justification for all this fuss about the transfer of the (parliamentary) majority from March 14 to the previous opposition,” Berri reportedly told his visitors.

The speaker refused to snap back at Hariri who unveiled during this father’s sixth assassination anniversary that the March 8 forces had refused to hold a reconciliation conference in Riyadh.

“The answer is with Mr. Walid Jumblat,” Berri said.