2-Hour Berri Ultimatum Spurs Hariri to 'Turn Lebanon to God's Trust'

Beirut, Updated 21 Oct 04, 14:13

 

Rafik Hariri's dramatic resignation spread a maze of media speculations Thursday and An Nahar said his departure resulted from a 2-hour ultimatum by Speaker Berri to oust the prime minister unless he makes a graceful exit before the deadline. Berri served the threat in a 10-minute meeting with Hariri at parliament right after the Speaker's weekly meeting with president Lahoud at the Baabda palace at mid-morning Wednesday. "When Hariri said he wanted to consult with the 'Syrian brothers,' Berri told him 'Syria has told you and told me it will not interfere'," An Nahar reported. "Hariri then left the parliament building to his Koreitem mansion and wrote the letter of resignation coupled with an assertion that he won't form the new government, ending it with the powerfully moving farewell phrase of 'I trust revered Lebanon and its good people to God Almighty'," An Nahar narrated. Hariri then drove to the Baabda palace and Berri called him by telephone on the way, saying 'you have two hours to submit the resignation of the government. Otherwise, seven cabinet ministers will resign'." "Does the president have seven cabinet ministers of his own to make them resign?" Hariri wondered. "Three are his and four are mine," Berri shot back, according to An Nahar. Hariri turned his letter of resignation to Lahoud in a 5-minute meeting at the Baabda palace. And Lahoud immediately accepted the resignation and as Hariri's departing government to care take until a new cabinet is formed. An Nahar argued that Berri could not have taken such attitude without Syria's consent. "Dramatic developments could have happened if Hariri had not hurried to submit the resignation letter." It said Berri could have engineered a no-confidence motion to topple Hariri in Parliament. "Hariri Been Pushed into a De Facto Resignation," wailed an eight-column headline across the front-page of the pro-Hariri Beirut daily Al Liwa."