Berri Slams March 14″s “Prosecutor” But Stresses on National Partnership
Speaker Nabih Berri accused the March 14 alliance”s general secretariat on Saturday of being a "general prosecutor" but stressed that the opposition will not accept to rule the country unless it enters into partnership with the coalition.
"The March 14 forces” general secretariat was transformed into a general prosecutor that made different accusations against the opposition and held it responsible for the security, political and economic incidents" in the country, Berri said during a speech at a gathering in Baalbek-Hermel.
"Enough mobilization and enough money spending," he said about the March 14 forces.
"If the opposition wins the elections, we don”t accept to rule unless we are true partners," Berri said, calling for the formation of a "government of partnership" in the aftermath of the June 7 polls.
The speaker also tried to appease those who fear that Hizbullah will use its weapons in the interior.
"I reassure March 14 supporters and all the Lebanese people that the arms of the resistance will only be used against the Israeli enemy," he stressed.
Berri said that the opposition is with the implementation of the Taef agreement.
"We want the state. We want the Lebanese state but we don”t want power…We want the state based on the Taef accord," he said during his speech.
He stressed that the opposition wants the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and wants to know who attempted to kill Lebanon with ex-Premier Rafik Hariri”s murder.
Further defending the March 8 alliance, the speaker stressed: "It”s not Berri alone in the opposition who is speaking in the language of moderation. The opposition in general speaks in such a language."
On the elections, he called for voting en masse during the polls because they are a referendum on the resistance and development.
Berri also criticized the government for delaying the implementation of development projects in Baalbek and compensating civilians whose homes were destroyed during the July 2006 war.
He vowed that the new parliament will strongly back the implementation of development and agriculture projects in the area.
He described the Bekaa as the "twin of the south in resistance" and "the fortress of the resistance."
Berri earlier laid the cornerstones for a school of fine arts and municipal palace in the town of Shaat.