Minister Ahmed Fatfat: Berri is violating laws

 

Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Fatfat said that the government is consulting with political and religious leaders over decrees it is signing, and he denied that the government will give nationality to non-Lebanese.

 

Fatfat told LBC Television that the petition signed by some March 14 MPs to amend Article 49 of the constitution will be submitted to Speaker Nabih Berri if he accepts it, “For he has already rejected a similar petition aimed at opening an exceptional parliamentary session.”

 

“Berri is managing the parliament in an arbitrary way, and he is acting as head of an opposition faction and not as an official occupying a constitutional post, whose duty is to open the parliament to solve problems according to constitutional procedures,” Fatfat said.

 

He also said that the government’s decision to begin an exceptional parliamentary session entered into force as soon as it was made public, when it was posted on the ministerial cabinet’s door.

 

“By rejecting the call for an exceptional session, Berri is violating the constitution. We are waiting for his reaction to our petition, and then we will decide on the steps to be taken,” he said.

 

Fatfat asked how the opposition could consider the government illegitimate, while resigned ministers are still getting their salaries and signing international agreements and decrees but are not attending cabinet meetings.

 

“Resigned Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalifeh said that his resignation was not accepted, therefore, he is still minister,” Fatfat said.

 

He also said that March 14 has done its most to compromise by supporting the candidacy of General Sleiman and that the problem lays in imposing agreements over pre-conditions.

 

“We do not object to the establishment of a national-unity government,” Fatfat added.

 

He also said that the problem with MP Michel Aoun is his calling for negotiations over a secret list of conditions “he holds in his pocket.”

 

“We have tried to negotiate with Aoun previously, and we came to the conclusion that he does not want dialogue, otherwise he would have made public his conditions,” Fatfat added.