BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri signaled Wednesday a potential compromise over the divisive issue of the Cabinet's policy statement, voicing optimism that ministers would soon finalize a draft.
Rather than focusing on the controversial tripartite formula "the Army, the people, and the resistance," Berri used his weekly meeting with lawmakers to emphasize Arab support for "the right of the resistance and Lebanon in resisting occupation [and] Israeli aggression with all legitimate means," according to a statement released by his office.
The March 14 coalition has insisted the tripartite formula of previous policy statement be removed and replaced with the Baabda Declaration, which calls for distancing Lebanon from regional and international conflicts, particularly the war in Syria. Hezbollah so thus far insisted on keeping the tripartite formula.
Berri’s remarks were seen as a compromise intended to facilitate the work of the ministerial committee tasked with drafting the government’s policy statement.
The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Tammam Salam, has held five meetings at the Grand Serail with no tangible results.
But a source close to Salam told The Daily Star Tuesday that the committee was working to reach a compromise on the thorny issue of Hezbollah's armed resistance against Israel.
Ministers are expected to reconvene Wednesday to resume discussion on the policy statement.
Lawmakers who visited Berri said the speaker voiced optimism that the committee would finalize the draft policy.
“We have been flexible in discussing the statement and we are ready to continue as such until we reach a consensus regarding disputed items,” the MPs quoted Berri as saying.
No comments:
Post a Comment