Nabih Berri begins a record fourth term as speaker of Lebanon's parliament, with rosy promises, reports Mohalhel Fakih A pledge to fight corruption, bolster national reconciliation and enhance public freedoms was how the Muslim Shia parliament speaker Nabih Berri started his fourth consecutive term. An overwhelming majority of MPs voted for the pro-Syrian Berri in the new assembly's inaugural meeting since the anti-Syrian opposition swept to victory in legislative polls this month, the first without Syria's direct involvement in 30 years. Ninety MPs supported Berri, thirty-seven mainly Christian legislators cast a blank ballot and one chose MP Bassem Sabeh. Christian MPs opposed the re-election of Berri, who first took the post in 1992, accusing him of implementing Damascus's policies. The speaker indicated he too wanted reform and change but had been muzzled. "We have to be ready to reactivate parliament's role to shore up reconciliation, dialogue, the rule of law, and human rights," Berri told the 128-member parliament, divided equally between Muslims and Christians, after winning the uncontested vote. He vowed to hold weekly sessions with the government to review its performance and ensure compliance with legislation. "We support the launch of full investigations into 'files' and public trials after strengthening the judiciary and inspection boards," Berri said in response to charges that he oversaw corrupt institutions. Many of the new legislators had strongly opposed Syria's grip on this tiny nation and could not have run for elections during Syria's military presence. The new assembly reflected the sea of change that has hit Lebanon since former prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri was killed in a massive bomb blast in Beirut on 14 February. However, General Michel Aoun, who until recently was in Syrian-forced exile in France, has forged political alliances with staunchly pro-Syrian figures, leading a 14-member alliance in parliament. Al-Hariri's son, Saad, a rising political star, now leads a 37-member bloc in parliament, the largest in the assembly's history. Al-Hariri Jr fielded multi- confessional electoral tickets in recent elections with a cross-section of the opposition, including new MP Sethrida Geagea, the wife of imprisoned Christian warlord Samir Geagea, who is to be freed soon, and new MP Solange Gemayel, widow of the murdered right-wing Christian President Bashir Gemayel. The opposition has vowed to remain united in parliament, although its members were divided over the re-election of Berri. "There is a will and intention to pursue reform," MP Ali Bazzi, a close aide of Berri, told Al-Ahram Weekly. He blamed paralysis in the previous house on chronic spats in the executive branch of government, in reference to President Emile Lahoud's long-standing political feud with now slain Premier Al-Hariri. Bazzi insisted that Berri "was never a stumbling block", and called for activating state institutions including supervisory boards to ensure compliance with the constitution. "The speaker always urged reform. In 1997 he proposed a comprehensive reform package that was not implemented," Bazzi told the Weekly. Berri blamed shortfalls in the previous assembly, dominated by Syria's compliant allies, on pervasive intelligence services that controlled the country. "Every time we carried out specific reform measures, the (intelligence) apparatus used to embrace the violators and persecute the good people," Berri recently said. Saad Al-Hariri defended his decision to back Berri for the post: "Speaker Berri won in free elections. He represents a large segment of Lebanese. He was allied with Hizbullah. Our programme is reforming the administration and eradicating corruption, and he says he shares the same goals." The late premier's son, Saad, outlined his political programme at a meeting of his bloc. Its cornerstone is fighting rampant corruption and reforming administration, a task his murdered father could not achieve, despite having secured unprecedented backing from the international community at the so-called Paris II Conference. Al-Hariri blamed the plan's failure on his political foe, President Lahoud, who enjoyed unequivocal backing from Damascus. Berri and Hizbullah were also Syria's allies, and in this month's legislative elections they garnered more than 80 per cent of Shia votes, winning 35 seats in different parts of the country and making it difficult to circumvent the results without provoking the country's largest sect. In Lebanon's strict confessional political system, the speakership of parliament is reserved for a Shia member, the post of prime minister goes to Sunni Muslims, and Catholic Maronites get the presidency. Political quotas have always been a decisive factor in preserving the country's delicate balance between its 17 religious sects. Christian MPs, not in the large blocs of Al-Hariri and opposition MP Walid Jumblatt, cast a white ballot to protest against Berri's re-election. Hardline General Michel Aoun and his 14-member coalition did not support the speaker. "There was no democratic choice," MP Hashem Qassem, who spoke on behalf of Aoun's bloc, said, but added, "the bloc looks forward to an honest and fruitful cooperation with the speaker." General Aoun, whose return from exile in Paris split the anti-Syrian opposition, did not rule out joining a "national unity government" that has a "clear reform programme." But Aoun stridently opposes the dismissal of his former rival, President Lahoud. The opposition wants Lahoud to step down, arguing that Syria forced a constitutional amendment to extend his term in office for three years last October. An ally of the late Al-Hariri, MP Gebran Tueini, warned that Berri's re-election would block moves to dismiss Lahoud, although the anti-Syrian opposition lacks a two-thirds majority in the house. Aoun and Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir argued that ousting the head of state would undermine the top Maronite government seat. However the speaker's close aide, MP Bazzi, told the Weekly, "there is no link between electing a house speaker and the position of the Lebanese presidency. MPs get their authority from the direct vote of the people -- this is tied to the will of the voters." Lahoud has made clear his intent to serve his entire mandate. "I'm not resigning. I'm staying until the end of my term," he told CNN. Hours before the assembly convened its first meeting, sources close to Lahoud leaked a report to Beirut dailies saying Lebanon's political system does not allow electoral majority rule, saying the president should take an active role in forming the new government and will not accept a cabinet "imposed" on him. Lahoud must give his stamp of approval to any new government. A top ally of Al-Hariri, former minister Fouad Siniora, a reformist, is tipped to become prime minister.
