By Xinhua
Beijing : Nabih Berri calls for a national dialogue as the Lebanese Speaker though he is a major figure in the opposition, Ali Hamdan, press adviser of Berri, said on Monday.
Hamdan made the remarks in an interview with local Al-Manar TV in response to Prime Minister Fouad Seniora’s comment on Monday claiming that “Speaker Berri is on the opposition side, and can not sponsor national dialogue.”
Berri called for a national dialogue to gather both ruling coalition and opposition leaders in order to reach an agreement to elect a new president.
Berri left Monday to Damascus for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and launched a tour to countries involved in Lebanon’s political crisis.
Hamdan said “Speaker Berri is visiting Damascus first, because the latter heads the Arab summit, Berri will visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt afterwards.”
Lebanon is currently facing the most serious political deadlock since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. For the first time in its history, the president’s seat has been vacant since Nov. 24, 2007 when former President Emile Lahoud stepped down.
A long-awaited parliamentary session to elect a new president has been postponed for the 17th time till April 22.
The presidency deadlock deepened the Lebanese political crisis as fears are mounting that failure in reaching a deal could result in more violence in the country.