Berri Says Cabinet Red Line, Lebanese Should not Wait for Solution from Abroad

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Speaker Nabih Berri has reiterated that the government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam is a red line, urging Lebanon's rival officials not to wait for the Iran nuclear deal to resolve the country's crises.

“Bringing down the cabinet means abolishing the country. This cannot take place,” Berri told his visitors, according to al-Joumhouria daily published on Friday.

“The government is a red line, at least for me and for Hizbullah,” he said. “Our stance is serious. Let those who want to topple the government try” such a move.

Salam is carrying out his responsibilities to guarantee the continued functioning of the government, Berri added.

The speaker's visitors asked him about French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius' recent visit to Tehran and President Francois Hollande's announcement that he could travel to Lebanon in the coming months.

“The current stage is transitional,” he said. “The nuclear agreement between Iran and the West is still consolidating and two to three months are needed until solutions appear.”

“That's why we should resolve our issues in Lebanon, particularly urgent ones, so that we become ready to welcome solutions (from abroad) when they are ripe,” Berri added.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ended in May last year.

Sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday that Fabius urged his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani to try to resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon.

But the Iranian officials hinted that Tehran is not yet ready to use its influence in the region to interfere in the presidential crisis as long as the nuclear deal is still in its implementation stage

Fabius made a one-day visit to Tehran on Wednesday to relaunch diplomatic ties with Iran in the hope of boosting business in the country, following the key nuclear deal.

The July 14 deal between Iran and six world powers — the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — is meant to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

Berri did not want to comment on the waste crisis that has been gripping Lebanon since July 17, only expressing his “disgust” from the matter.

The crisis erupted when the Naameh landfill, which was meant to receive the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, was closed.

Comments 12
Thumb justin over 9 years

“The government is a red line, at least for me and for Hizbullah,” he said. “Our stance is serious. Let those who want to topple the government try” such a move.

Clear message to aoun. It seems the plan is to obstruct from within the government and paralyze the country until aoun gets his wishes or so he thinks.

Default-user-icon kazan (Guest) over 9 years

speech Obama in Kenya applies 100% for Lebanon

Thumb ex-fpm over 9 years

“That's why we should resolve our issues in Lebanon, particularly urgent ones, so that we become ready to welcome solutions (from abroad) when they are ripe,” Berri added.
Welcome solutions from abroad;))?!!

Default-user-icon justasking (Guest) over 9 years

Dear Parliament Speaker
I am a Lebanese expatriate living in Expatria.
Do you know why on a M14 news site, the M8 posters are always in the top rated comments.

Thumb EagleDawn over 9 years

one of the corner stones of corruption in Lebanon.

Missing humble over 9 years

Mr du Barry : tell this directly to your partners Ebola and the Caporal.

Default-user-icon the_roar (Guest) over 9 years

@humble... do you know why flamethrower was repeatedly banned?

Missing humble over 9 years

Caporal is really destroying the Christians and the whole country.

Missing humble over 9 years

The enemies of Lebanon (in addition to the takfiris, terrorists and Israel) are:
1 - Syria
2 - Iran
3 - Ebola
4 - Caporal
5 - Any Lebanese supporting Ebola and any Christian supporting Caporal.

Default-user-icon southern.mowaten (Guest) over 9 years

please add me, mowaten, flamethrower and mystic to your list

Missing lebcan over 9 years

Done! Your added

Thumb beiruti over 9 years

It makes no sense not to go now to elect a President for Lebanon. This means that there is an Aoun around making nonsense of sense; disorder where there should be order; obstruction where there should be cooperation; destruction where there should be reconstruction.

This is the Aoun curse on Lebanon