Berri criticized Hariri yesterday after the former pm revealed on his Twitter page that if he and his alliance win the next election they will not vote for Berri as the speaker of the parliament.

“No voting for Berri anymore if we win the election. That is a promise,” Hariri said.

Hariri also revealed that he is in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia and he will decide when to return to Lebanon as soon as the time is ripe.

The former PM also tweeted that he was practicing the hobby of diving.

“I just love to dive anywhere, it’s calm under the water, it’s beautiful and I would love to dive all around the world,” he said.

Berri said in a statement on Monday that The Mustaqbal movement leader should have practiced his hobby of diving rather than being involved in politics.”

“Hariri has revealed in his electronic interviews a number of his personal hobbies, one of which is diving,” Berri said .

“The Lebanese have also discovered a new hobby of the ‘sheikh’ which is politics. Better he dive in the former than the latter,” he added.

Hariri also revealed that he is in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia and he will decide when to return to Lebanon as soon as the time is ripe.

Commenting on the kidnappings of the Syrian opposition members in Lebanon , he called it “a stupid act for which they ( whoever did it ) will pay dearly”.

He revealed that he has no relationship with FPM leader MP Michel Aoun but his relationship with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea is excellent .

He also revealed that he deals with MP Walid Jumblatt as a leader adding that when they disagreed they were both frank with each other.

In a response to a question on whether Assad will be able to set Lebanon on fire if he is brought down he said:
“He won’t be able to and his people will soon be free and bring him down “and added ” look what happened in Tunisia and Libya …in the end people will be able to secure their freedom”.

In response to question about his deteriorating relations with Hezbollah he said: ” I am not against Hezbollah , they are against me and against themselves because they don’t respect the opinion of others ”

During a meeting on November 6, 2007 addressing the Lebanese presidential elections with then-US Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman, Berri said that Aoun is a “eunuch” among the candidates for the presidency, the cable said, adding that “the speaker beseeched the ambassador to not share his comment on Aoun .”

The cable also said that the speaker “pulled Feltman into his side office in Ain al-Tineh for a private word and urged the US to work on Aoun to find out what the latter would need in return for renouncing his own presidential aspirations.”

“If Aoun agrees to concede the presidency then it makes for a possible solution: a president who is closer to March 14 than March 8. As long as Aoun remains in the running, my hands are tied,” the cable quoted Berri as saying.

The cable added that if “Aoun agrees to accept certain ministerial portfolios, then Berri would be willing to support someone like Boutros Harb or Robert Ghanem.”

Feltman asked Berri for “confirmation” that he would support Harb, the cable also said, adding that Berri said: “Yes, if Aoun will agree to step aside.”

On November 23, 2007, the term of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud came to an end and the March 14 and March 8 coalitions could not agree on a successor.

In May 2008, Hezbollah rejected the Fouad Siniora government’s decision to transfer Brigadier General Wafiq Choucair from his position as airport security chief and insisted the brigadier remain at his post.

The dispute over the issue stirred a week of sectarian fighting that killed more than 100 people across the country and became known as the May 7 events.

Negotiations to halt the crisis, in which senior representatives from all Lebanese political parties participated in, took place in Doha, Qatar from May 17 to May 20. The participants agreed that Michel Sleiman was the preferred presidential candidate and he was elected on May 25.

Click here to read the cable
NL

A eunuch ( Greek: Ευνούχος) is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences. (Less commonly, in translations of ancient texts, “eunuch” may refer to a man who is not castrated but who is impotent, celibate, or who displays effeminate characteristics.)

Berri stressed during a meeting with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams that the UNIFIL can play a role in the demarcation of the disputed maritime borders with Israel “unless the navy forces of the UNIFIL are only found to monitor our regional waters and shores.”

As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday that Williams was insisting on his stance during the discussion, saying that the “U.N. isn’t specialized in demarcating any maritime border, and the two disputed countries have to negotiate” over the issue.

The Israel official added that Hizbullah is labeling this matter as “the maritime Shebaa Farms,” noting that it is a strictly political affair, which the party is employing for its interests.

Tel Aviv is seeking to resolve this matter through direct negotiations with Lebanon, which has refused this proposal, he continued. It has rejected this idea ever since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, the Israeli official remarked.

The land borders were demarcated then, but not the maritime ones because the Lebanese government at the time refused to do so it and it is still rejecting all direct and indirect contact with Israel, said the spokesman.
Negotiations are the best manner to solve this issue and if Lebanon maintains its position, then the matter should be addressed before the United Nations, but international law stipulates that the two concerned countries must resolve the dispute themselves, he concluded.

Offshore oil and gas have been found in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Lebanese and Israeli coasts and a dispute has erupted between the two sides over the lack of maritime borders designating the areas the two countries have authority to explore.

Naharnet

Former PM and current Future bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora on Wednesday responded to Speaker Nabih Berri’s criticism that the bloc is “placing conditions” for engaging in national dialogue.

In a statement issued by his office, Siniora questioned Berri’s comments, asking “If Hezbollah’s arms are a source of dispute in the country, then why wouldn’t we want to call for addressing it in dialogue ?”

The statement said : “Hezbollah’s arms is the only pending issue out of a number of matters proposed by Berri during his press conference on March 3, 2006, so why is he questioning our demand to return to his suggestions?”

The statement added: “We are all aspiring for the rise of the fair and capable state, which controls the arms and is able of confronting Israel.”

Siniora asked in the statement : “Why haven’t the decisions of the dialogue been implemented, especially those on demarcating the Lebanese-Syrian border and tackling the possession of arms inside and outside Palestinian refugee camps?”

“The Future bloc mentioned in its Tuesday statement that dialogue has always been the best way to resolve disputes,” the statement said.

It also said that “the everyone’s intention is to look for solutions….on condition that all parties’ demands are taken into account.”

Siniora added that his bloc believes “no progress can take place” if the issue of Hezbollah’s arms is not tackled.

In a reference to the Future bloc, Berri said in remarks published Wednesday that “whoever wants to participate in the national dialogue sessions should not do so demanding conditions.”

In May 2008 Hezbollah , which claims to be a resistance movement aimed at defending Lebanon against Israel pointed its guns against the Lebanese people when its gunmen invaded and occupied the western part of Beirut and tried but failed to occupy Mt Lebanon.

“We succeeded in preserving stability in the past years, which resulted in economic growth. Nothing stops us from preserving this stability despite all dangers surrounding us,” he said

“We should refer to the legitimate institutions to resolve any dispute,” Suleiman added.

He also said that the Lebanese people are tired from internal disputes , aspire to build the state institutions and are now looking for stability and sustainable development.

The president also said that Lebanon needs real reconciliation between its parties, adding that the Lebanese system respects diversity and is keen to preserve compromise between its people.

The patriarch is on a spiritual visit to the district of Jbeil, where Amchit is located. The dinner was also attended by Lebanon’s top officials, political leaders and religious authorities.

Suleiman stressed on Saturday that he will seek to launch a national dialogue with the Lebanese leaders to fortify Lebanon.

“We will seek to launch the national dialogue to agree on the defense strategy to meet the Israeli threats ”

He addressed patriarch al-Rai saying: “Since day one you have worked on gathering the Maronite leaders and called for an Islamic-Christian summit to implement dialogue and co-existence.”

Suleiman remarked that during the past few years “We were able to achieve stability… And committed ourselves to the democratic principle of rotating power.”

“However, we didn’t forget to seek the social justice,” he stressed.

Patriarch Rai on his part urged the president, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati to go forward in their partnership.

The issue of appointments will be the top topic this Thursday during the first cabinet meeting ( after securing the vote of confidence) . Al-Liwaa newspaper reported that Berri’s offer came after Aoun expressed the desire to return the position of the General Security’s leadership to the Maronite sect rather than keeping it with the Shiites. The position was most recently held by the late General Wafik Jezzini, a Shiite who passed away last March after suffering from a terminal illness. Jezzini like his predecessor Jamil Al Sayed was very closely associated with Hezbollah ). Sayed , who is also a Shiite was one of Syria’s top operatives in Lebanon from 1998-2005, when he was imprisoned in connection with the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri .

The Army leadership is currently being held by General Jean Kahwaji, who is a Maronite
and Internal Security Forces chief is being held by General Ashraf Rifi , a Sunni

Hezbollah and Amal are reportedly backing Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim for the General Security leadership post.

Al-Hayat newspaper reported that Aoun hasn’t yet made any public announcement on the issue of General Security Department leadership appointment because he is hesitating into engaging in a political battle with the Shiites .

Mansouri who is reportedly a close relative of Speaker Berri is a University professor and is professionally involved with the defense team of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ( STL).

Mansouri will be replacing Ali al Shami, the resigned minister of Foreign Affairs in the caretaker cabinet.

STL was created in 2007 by a UN Security Council resolution to find and try the killers of Hariri, who was assassinated in a massive car bombing on the Beirut seafront on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 other people.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reportedly poised to indict Hezbollah members in the Hariri murder.

The Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah brought down PM Saad Hariri’s government on January 12 over the STL’s imminent indictment .

In an interview with MTV he called on the Hezbollah led March 8 alliance to free itself from the mentality of tutelage at a time when the Syrian people themselves are making sacrifices to get rid of the tutelage .

He is referring to the nearly 30 year of Syrian military presence in Lebanon.

Hamadeh asked : When did March 14 monopolize the power ? The last government of national unity included a disabling one third share ( veto power) for March 8 while March 14 did not have more than 12 Ministers out of 30 . March 8 is the one that is monopolizing power in Lebanon by trying to form a one color cabinet that is opposed to the International Tribunal and supports the illegal weapons.

Hamadeh criticized Berri call for a parliament session aimed at bypassing the role of the cabinet and predicted that next week the quorum will not be met also

Berri called last month for a June 8 parliament session but had to postpone it to June 15 because the quorum was not met.

Berri also attacked March 14 and the Cedar Revolution saying it “took Lebanon 60 years back.”

“The Cedar Revolution took us 60 years back, led to the spending of public funds, increased national debt and favored the atmosphere for more foreign interference,” Berri , a key ally of the Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah group said in a reference to the March 14 coalition, which was named after the largest demonstration of the Cedar revolution.

Over a million Lebanese , Christians, Druze and Muslims protested in downtown Beirut on March 14, 2005 demanding Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. Syria withdrew in April 2005 after 29 years of military presence

The Cedar Revolution or Independence Intifada was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon (especially in the capital Beirut) triggered by the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.

The primary goals of the revolution were the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the replacement of a government heavily influenced by Syrian interests with more independent leadership, the establishment of an international commission to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the resignation of security officials to ensure the success of the plan, and the organization of free parliamentary elections. The demonstrators demanded the end of the Syrian influence in Lebanese politics. At the start of the demonstrations, Syria had been maintaining a force of roughly 14,000 soldiers and intelligence agents in Lebanon. Following the demonstrations, the Syrian troops completely withdrew from Lebanon on April 27, 2005. The Pro-Syrian government was also disbanded, accomplishing the main goals of the revolution.

Only 58 MPs attended the session . For the quorum to be met at least 65 MPs should attend ( half the 128 member parliament plus one ).

Parliamentary sources told al Jumhourya newspaper that Berri will be issuing invitations for a June 22 session if the quorum will not be met on June 15 and will continue to do so every following week until the quorum is met .

PSP leader MP Walid Jumblatt and members of his bloc ( total 7 ) and PM designate Najib Miqati and his Tripoli allies, MPs Ahmed Karami and Mohammed Safadi boycotted the session as per their announcement last week.

Jumblatt proposed a solution to the June 8 parliamentary session Al Hayat newspaper reported early Wednesday.

His proposal call for giving priority to the issue of extending the term of Central bank Governor Riad Salameh. Jumblatt wants this issue to be the first on the agenda instead of being number 36 out of 49. In such a case he and his bloc members will attend and will leave as soon as the bill on the term for Salameh is voted on.

Al Hayat predicted that Berri will not accept Jumblatt’s proposal because as soon as the PSP leader leaves the parliament with the members of his bloc it will lead to the loss of meeting quorum and therefore he cannot continue with the legislative session, knowing that PM designate Nagib Mikati and his bloc members will also boycott the session.

Before the planned session, a meeting was held at Berri’s office which was attended by , PM designate Najib Miqati, MPs Michel Aoun, Walid Jumblatt, Suleiman Franjieh, Mohammed Raad, Talal Arslan and Assaad Hardan.

Following the meeting Berri tried to justify his call for a parliamentary session and renewed his attacks against March 14 and the Cedar Revolution.

He accused the March 14 “Cedar Revolution” of “attempting to thwart parliamentary initiatives” .

“The Cedar Revolution takes a step forward to hold us many steps back by insisting to monopolize powers and by foiling the initiatives taken in parliament,” Berri said during a press conference he held at the parliament building in Nejmeh Square.

He said that convening parliament before forming a new cabinet headed by Mikati is constitutional.

“The constitution notes that the Third Chapter determines the circumstances under which parliament can convene. Among these conditions, there is no requirement that the [caretaker] cabinet should convene,” the speaker said.

He added that the delay in the formation of the cabinet “was not a reason behind the calls to convene parliament.”

“The calls are an incentive to speed up the cabinet formation.

“Some parties are saying that we should ratify only one point on the parliamentary agenda. I do not know how they interpret matters. The session is either constitutional or not,” Berri said in response to Jumblatt’s proposal

Berri also said that he does not want to incite divisions in the country, adding that he “defies anyone” who accuses him of ratifying laws for personal gains.