Gemayel Condemns Berri”s Dialogue Move

Former President Amin Gemayel condemned Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri”s move to resume all-party dialogue before electing a new President for Lebanon.

He told Future News channel that he is against linking presidential elections with the formation of a new government and an electoral law.

 

“In what logic can we suspend presidential elections until political conditions are met?” Gemayel questioned.

 

He was responding to Berri who on Saturday moved a table with 14 seats around it into the parliament building to try to bring rival political leaders to start talking and end a prolonged deadlock.

 

Gemayel saw that MP Michel Murr”s withdrawal from Gen. Michel Aoun”s Change and Reform parliamentary bloc was only “natural and positive.”

 

Prime Minister Fouad Saniora”s circles, however, declined to respond to Berri”s move, while sources in the majority March 14 alliance said that such a proposal was “a retreat tactic” after Berri failed to gain support from Hizbullah and Aoun to go ahead with presidential elections in exchange for approval of the 1960 election law and to abandon a demand for the shape up of the future cabinet.