“The Amal Movement and Hezbollah went down on the ground in force to support the [Internal] Security Forces [ISF] in eliminating [construction] violations,” he told As-Safir newspaper.
“The legitimization that happened in the past encouraged the people to repeat and expand the violations, so it is not about to happen again,” he said, adding that “whoever is gambling on a compromise over his [illegal construction] situation in the long-term is delusional.”
“I intend to follow this issue to the end, and I insist that every officer or member of the security forces involved in covering building violations or turning a blind eye to them – whether by taking a bribe or simply through neglect – will be held accountable.”
Berri also voiced “intense disgust” at the current state of the cabinet formation process.
“There is nothing I have not done [to help formation …] but unfortunately [talks] are stalled,” he said.
“It appears that there is public property in the cabinet and state that is being violated too, not just the public property on the ground.”
Police in April launched a crackdown on illegally-constructed buildings on public lands, particularly in Hezbollah-controlled areas in the south of Beirut and in southern Lebanon.
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati was appointed in January with the March 8 coalition’s backing and has not yet formed his cabinet.
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