Shamseddine”s son leans on Berri to hold presidential vote
The son of late Higher Shiite Council president Sheikh Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine urged the Lebanese “and namely the Shiite community” on Monday to “spare no effort to salvage our country.” “I urge Speaker Nabih Berri to fulfill his role as a head of the Lebanese Parliament and hold a session to elect a new head of state,” Ibrahim Shamseddine said during a news conference at the Shamseddine Center in Beirut”s southern suburbs.
He added that Berri should not act as a “paralyzing agent” and should instead “conclude a rich political career by leading such a national event.”
Shamseddine said the election of a president was “the first, natural, and righteous” step toward discussing any constitutional reforms or the shape of the next government.
While the ruling March 14 coalition and the opposition have agreed to elect the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Michel Suleiman, as the next president, they remain at odds over other issues.
The opposition wants to be granted veto power in the next government, a demand the governing coalition had opposed.
“The ongoing negotiations concerning the presidential election are going to turn the future president into a Cabinet partner instead of making him the country”s leader, symbol of its unity as well as the head of its armed forces,” Shamseddine said.
Shamseddine said all political groups should commit to the Taif Accord “for it is the property of all the Lebanese and not someone”s private belonging to use or throw away,” and added: “The Taif Accord is the only reference protecting the country from the politicians” greedy interests.”
Shamseddine also slammed Hizbullah, saying the party should “hold dialogue with other Shiite groups.”
“Hizbullah, through their leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has almost exclusively dealt with the Lebanese political file for the past three years, after the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, the withdrawal of the Syrian troops as well as the summer 2006 war,” he said.
“After three years, it”s about time for this party to be humble enough to organize talks with people from the Shiite community that don”t necessarily belong to the party. I therefore ask of Hizbullah to revise the past years” achievements and defeats on both the private and national levels.”
Shamseddine also called on Lebanese Sunnis, Druze, and Christians not to be afraid of the Shiite community.
“The Shiite community isn”t plotting against the Sunni, the Druze or the Christian community. Muslims aren”t plotting against Christians. We are all Lebanese; we all want to live in peace, in safe regions and have good relations with our neighbors,” he added.