Berri Blasted for Plotting to Exclude Christians from Decision-Making

Speaker Berri has come under intense opposition fire with charges falling upon him from all directions that he is scheming to keep the nation's Christian community out of the decision-making process in spite of Syria's evacuation of Lebanon. Berri is also squarely accused in a rarely matched hostile barrage that he is preventing parliament from holding a legislative session to vote into law a draft bill that makes the small district as the electoral constituency before the May-June elections are held. "Berri is not behaving as a parliament speaker for the whole of Lebanon. He is taking sides rather than being the arbiter among various parties. He is a party, heading the Ein El-Tineh coalition of remnants of Syria's loyalists," said An Nahar's executive Editor Edmond Saab in a Beirut TV interview. Saab said Syria's allies should realize that a new era has set in after the evacuation and the opposition would win the majority to rule in the elections whichever law is employed. Berri may not be the speaker of the next parliament," Saab warned. Spokesmen for various Christian opposition groupings are bluntly accusing Berri of trying to salvage Syria's influence in Lebanon despite the military evacuation. "He is personally to blame for standing in the way of a parliamentary session to vote on the district-based electoral law and on Geagea's parole," said opposition legislator Nihmatallah Abi Nasr.