REPORT: Berri says no one can stop Parliament legislation

Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri said that there are some regrettable statements voiced by a number of deputies and politicians whereby they said that calling on the Parliament to hold session violates the law, noting that “it seems that everyone has forgotten that the Parliament works on containing the situation in the country.”    
                    
In this context, Berri added that, according to the article 69 of the Lebanese Constitution, “when the Council resigns or is considered resigned, the Chamber of Deputies shall automatically be considered convened in an extraordinary session until a new Council has been formed and has gained the Chamber's confidence.”        
                         
The speaker declared that President Michel Sleiman called him and informed him of his intention to call for an extraordinary session, while caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati told him that there is no need for such session.                                 

However, Berri announced that the law pertaining to the extension of the electoral deadlines and the law of extension of the parliament mandate were both passed under a caretaker cabinet, stressing that “nothing can stop the legislation process of the Parliament which is the source of all powers.”                   

“The agenda to be discussed during the upcoming parliamentary sessions has been prepared by the Parliament’s bureau committee, we added pending issues of 2010 in order to reactivate the work of the council and restore the public’s confidence,” Berri stated.                                      
Commenting on the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's statements that three important draft laws were overlooked and not added to the agenda of the parliamentary session, Berri said: “Aoun has the right to demand and we have the right to reply,” concluding that all three draft laws have been referred to the concerned authorities.                                                

It is worth noting that the three said draft laws are the ones related to the natural gas issue, the Orthodox Gathering electoral law and former SLA militiamen seeking asylum in Israel.