Elections on Time at Any Price
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the 2009 parliamentary elections will take place on time regardless of what happens.
He pointed that he sees no justification for fears by some for holding the elections.
In an interview with the daily as-Safir published Friday, Berri paid tribute to efforts by Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and the ministry in providing citizens with new identity cards.
In case a citizen does not receive an identity card prior to the elections, Berri said he would act in coordination with the cabinet to ensure that a Lebanese is not barred from his or her right to vote.
As Safir also quoted Baroud as saying: "Fears raised by some could be construed as additional precaution for holding the elections."
"I am committed through the government to hold elections on time during the constitutional period, meaning between April 20 and June 29, 2009," Baroud said.
He added that election preparations are "not the responsibility of one side alone. It is a joint responsibility between cabinet and parliament."
"Coordination between myself and Speaker Berri is full," Baroud said.
He called upon citizens, electoral engines and mayors to join the ministry”s efforts in providing identity card applications as soon as possible "in order to maintain the momentum of production and maybe increase it as (our) means become more prevalent."
Baroud stressed that the ministry is working on this issue non-stop.