Lebanon's fate in the balance: Berri urges Presidential consensus as September dialogue looms

Political readings converge on considering the possibilities of achieving a breakthrough in dialogue if convened as slim or very weak. 

This is what Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri warned of, stating to Al Joumhouria that "the September dialogue is an opportunity to reach an agreement that ends the presidential crisis, and it must be seized and not missed."

This article was initially published in, translated from, the Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria.

He added: "If we reach an agreement, the President will definitely be elected, and Lebanon will move from its deteriorated state and follow the path of recovery. If we fail to agree, we will enter a dark tunnel, and Lebanon will pay an additional heavy price."

Berri pointed out, "If we had pursued the path of dialogue from the beginning, the presidential crisis would have been behind us, and we would have overcome it months ago, saving this country from the complications, obstacles, and crises that have burdened the Lebanese people."

"I have repeatedly called for avoiding the vacuum in the presidency and urged dialogue with clear intentions, considering it the only way to achieve the desired goal. We invited them to the dialogue and try us if we were serious or not, but they evaded this dialogue. As a result, we witnessed the deterioration we are in now," the Speaker of the Parliament told Al Joumhouria.

"In a frank speech on August 31 of last year, on the occasion of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr, about two months before the end of the presidential term, I clearly stated that we encourage and support any meeting that could lead to a national consensus on the presidential deadline."

"I emphasized back then and reiterate today that the presidential deadline is an exceptional constitutional and national sovereign entitlement. Let us make it an occasion where we prioritize Lebanon's interest above all other interests," he concluded.