The media office of the Lebanese Forces party stated in a statement that "President Nabih Berri seems to have confused his role, thinking that his presidency of the Parliament grants him the right to act as a guardian over the deputies and parliamentary blocs. What he proposes regarding an official dialogue table called for by the General Secretariat of the Parliament and chaired by President Berri implies that all constitutional entitlements, starting with the presidency, followed by the appointment of a Prime Minister, and the formation of the government, must pass through President Berri's table specifically. This is contrary to the constitution and contradicts the covenant of coexistence, and no one will agree to this."
They noted that "what President Berri proposes suggests that parliamentary blocs do not have the freedom to meet with each other, which is absolutely incorrect. Berri's task and that of the General Secretariat of the Parliament is limited to calling for sessions of the General Assembly and legislative work; they have no authority over the meetings of parliamentary blocs or their lack thereof in side dialogues or consultations on any matter or step that parliamentary blocs deem appropriate."
They pointed out that "President Berri has trivialized and manipulated the concept of dialogue hundreds, if not thousands of times, which could lead to electing a new president. It is well known that serious dialogue takes place away from media attention in closed rooms. This particular dialogue has not stopped for a moment among the parliamentary blocs in a bid to agree on a new president, but without result thus far due to the insistence of opposition forces on an unconstitutional mechanism, namely a 'Berri-like' dialogue table, and their rejection of the constitutional path of holding open sessions in consecutive rounds, as well as their insistence on a candidate they cannot elect and their refusal of the third option while continuing the same obstructionist approach."
They emphasized that "President Berri has unfortunately wasted more than a year and four months so far in obstructing the presidential elections, and he threatens, with his insistence on his (Berri-like) dialogue, the initiative of the 'National Moderation' bloc which calls for convening and consulting for a single session, rather than prepackaged dialogue aimed at bringing former minister Suleiman Frangieh to the presidency, and it is also rejected to turn this into a custom that precedes every constitutional entitlement."
They concluded: "Marta, Marta, you bring up many matters left and right, but what is required is one thing: a call for an open presidential election session in consecutive rounds until a president is elected."
