BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri expressed fears over Saudi Arabia’s $3 billion grant to Lebanon Thursday, saying that a delay or cancellation of the donation would defeat its purpose.
“There is a fear of a delay in Saudi Arabian aid [pledged] to the Army, [and a fear] of its evaporation despite the urgent need for it,” Berri said in a televised interview aired Thursday.
A delay in delivering the donation would defeat the purpose of the aid, the speaker said, while acknowledging the unlikelihood of Saudi Arabia withdrawing the donation.
With regards to the controversial Iranian aid offered to the Army, Berri said that “only a madman would refuse the donation in time of need.” The issue of Iranian aid has sparked controversy among politicians, with some rejecting the aid because of United Nations sanctions imposed on Iran.
Commenting on the issue of a parliamentary extension, Berri said he could not disregard the stance of Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, who has said that he would boycott parliamentary elections if they took place before the presidential vote.
“I can’t transfer the Sunni-Shiite strife into Lebanon by holding elections in light of the absence of a Lebanese faction” Berri said.
The presidency has been empty since former President Michel Sleiman’s term ended in May, and initiatives on both sides of the political aisle have been repeatedly stymied over the absence of a consensus candidate.
The speaker also noted that there have been no developments on the presidential elections.
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