(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri postponed on Wednesday a parliamentary session to June 15 over lack of quorum which came following pressure launched by the so-called March 14 bloc whose officials claimed the session was unconstitutional.
There were insufficient MPs for a quorum as only 55 of the Parliament’s 128-member showing up. A quorum requires the presence of half of the legislature, plus one, or 65 MPs.
In a press conference he held at the Parliament, Berri accused the March 14 of committing to the monopoly of power principle. “At a time when democracy is blossoming in the Arab world which has recently culminated with a reform decision by Syria and a Saudi Shura Council measure allowing women to vote in future municipal elections, we believe that the Cedar Revolution … insists on monopolizing power and tries to foil the parliamentary initiative,” he said.
Berri noted that his call for a session was aimed at protecting Lebanon’s system, especially its monetary system. He explained that the session was aimed at approving draft laws and “preventing the establishment of a masked dictatorship.”
He also slammed accusations that the session was unconstitutional in light of the governmental vacuum. “No one has facilitated the government formation process more than me,” he said.
Berri said that a number of March 14 figures and blocs had been questioning his failure so far to hold a legislative session. “Now that I have held a session, where have all these calls disappeared to?” he asked. “Saying that the session is unconstitutional in light of a caretaker government places parliament in the hands of the prime minister-designate and the political forces that appointed him,” he added. “That means if the March 14 camp wanted us to adopt their approach, Miqati and his camp could take control of the situation in the country and the president can’t do a thing about it,” Berri went on to say.
“The government’s resignation should expand parliament’s privileges,” the Speaker stressed. He went on to say that he doesn’t understand how the number of articles and the constitutionality of the session are connected. “It is either constitutional or not,” he pointed out.
Earlier on Wednesday, Berri stressed that he would keep calling for parliamentary sessions to discuss 49 items, among which is the renewal of Central Bank governor Riyad Salameh’s mandate. “I don’t accept any compromise and I reject to practice a dictatorship,” his visitors quoted him as saying. “This has been my way in parliament since 1992.”
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