Berri Stresses Need to Reach Agreement on Electoral Law within One Month

Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated on Wednesday his support to any electoral law that “enjoys the agreement of all Lebanese.”

He stressed however the need to reach this agreement within a month.

He made his remarks during his weekly meeting with MPs at his Ain el-Tineh residence.

In addition, Berri encouraged the parliamentary subcommittee to bolster its efforts to reach a breakthrough over the hybrid electoral law ahead of the parliament session that will convene in min-May.

The results of this session will be decisive over this issue, stated the speaker.

Berri's visitors lawmakers quoted him as saying that he would call for a parliamentary session on May 15-19 if the subcommittee was incapable of reaching consensus.

On the government-formation process, the speaker stressed the importance of establishing a national consensus cabinet capable of tackling major pending issues.

Berri, who had kept himself at a distance from the differences on the shape of the new cabinet, has said Premier-designate Tammam Salam still has time to put an all-embracing government together.

In remarks to several local newspapers published Wednesday, he said he was against rushing the formation of the cabinet, while stressing he was “open to holding consultations with Salam on the all-embracing political government.”

“It is the best choice at this stage,” he said.

Berri is the head of the Amal movement that is a major component of the March 8 alliance which is calling for a national unity cabinet. But the March 14 coalition wants a government whose members are neither political figures nor running in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Salam, who visited President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace on Tuesday, said he was not rushing the government formation “but the process should not be slow either because the country needs a cabinet.”

The efforts to put together an executive authority come amid a dispute on the electoral law.

A parliamentary subcommittee resumed meetings on Tuesday to set the stage for further discussions between rival lawmakers on a vote law. It is scheduled to hold another session on Thursday as a test of intentions.

Berri said in his remarks to the newspapers that “the stage that separates us from mid May is decisive.”

The speaker said he will call for a parliamentary session on May 15 to help the rival lawmakers reach an agreement on the electoral law.