By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has criticized Majority leader legislator Saad Hariri for “preaching the Sunni-Shiite discord in Beirut instead of rejecting such a discord,” local Al-Akhbar daily reported Wednesday.
Berri, a prominent opposition leader and a close ally of Shiite militant group Hezbollah, said two government decisions regarding Hezbollah should be cancelled before any dialogue.
At a press conference Tuesday, Hariri blamed Hezbollah for “every drop of blood” shed in Beirut, reiterating that these actions triggered “discord” between the two sects.
Lebanese political crisis boiled to deadly clashes on May 7 after the Lebanese cabinet decided to cease the private communication network of Hezbollah and remove the country’s sole international airport’s security chief Gen. Wafik Shqaier for alleged links to Hezbollah.
Six days of fierce internal fighting has killed at least 72 people and injured about 200 others.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by Prime Minister Fouad Seniora’s office late Tuesday said the Lebanese cabinet will meet on Wednesday.
An Arab delegation is expected in Beirut Wednesday to meet with rival leaders and prepare for talks that would gather them on one table.
Lebanon is facing the most complicated political crisis since 1975-1990 civil war. Lebanese political rival groups were unable to achieve a breakthrough to elect a new president for the country, which has been without a president since Nov. 24, 2007 when ex- President Emile Lahoud ended his term.