Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Salvation in Lebanon without New Govt

Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Salvation in Lebanon without New Govt

The Lebanese parliament is set to convene on Friday to read out a message by President Michel Aoun accusing Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri of failing to form a new government.

The letter seems aimed at indirectly requesting lawmakers to withdraw their confidence from Hariri under Aoun’s usual slogan of reclaiming the rights of Christians in Lebanon. The president’s move will only deepen the crisis in the country rather than ease tensions.

Ultimately, Aoun will emerge the loser in his long-running tussle with Hariri. He will fail in coming up with a new constitutional problem by targeting the Sunni sect. The prime minister in Lebanon is always a Sunni figure.

Aoun’s ally Hezbollah will not join him in targeting the sect as the party would prefer to meet the president halfway in advocating his right to deliver his message, but also aborting its political message because it is no way willing to become embroiled in a political dispute with the Sunnis.

It is in this second point where its position overlaps with that of parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who will as usual be able to moderate the parliamentary session and prevent it from turning into an arena for political spats.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he