Berri-Miqati Contacts Severed: Ali Hasan Khalil Absent from Cabinet Talks

Speaker Nabih Berri’s advisor, MP Ali Hasan Khalil, boycotted on Saturday the latest “mediatory” meeting with Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati, leaving it up to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s advisor, Hussein Khalil, to complete the mission of holding talks with Miqati to remove obstacles hindering the government formation.

Berri reportedly left his Ain al-Tineh residence in Beirut and headed to the South on Friday without meeting with the premier-designate as was scheduled after the later issued a statement announcing that he will not take part in the June 8 parliamentary session that the speaker had called for.

Berri had instead instructed MP Khalil to limit talks between Miqati and the March 8 camp with Nasrallah’s advisor in protest against the PM-designate’s position on Wednesday’s session.

The daily An Nahar Sunday spoke of tensions in the relationship between Berri and Miqati, who for the first time since his appointment met alone with Hussein Khalil on Saturday, while the other Khalil had reportedly also headed to the South.