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MSAYLEH (AFP) - Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called Wednesday for a government of national unity to avoid the economic crash he says is threatening Lebanon. "We have to commit ourselves to an economic resistance operation, otherwise there will be total collapse and we will head for disaster," warned Berri, who is number two in Lebanon's hierarchy. "Hope, even if it is not very great, resides in the formation of a government of national union," he said. "Such a government should be broadly representative, ensure some kind of unanimity and be set up in coordination with President Emile Lahoud", [a Maronite Christian], said Berri. He added that a new government "will have to take painful and unpopular measures," without giving details. Berri was speaking at a news conference at his home in Msayleh in southern Lebanon, three days after the parliamentary elections, which saw the government's defeat. Berri himself, the leader of the Syria-allied Shiite Amal movement, was comfortably re-elected in his district. A government of national unity bringing together representative Christian and Muslim forces was formed in 1990 at the end of the civil war. The current cabinet, formed in December 1998 by Prime Minister Salim Hoss, does not bring together the leaders of the various political groups. Lebanon is experiencing a serious economic recession, and the Hoss government was not able to rein in the fast burgeoning public debt, which should reach $25 billion by the end of the year. The debt is likely to grow further because of reconstruction work in the southern part of the country occupied by Israel for 22 years until May 24th. Berri put the cost of the reconstruction in the south at "two to three billion dollars," emphasizing that "at the moment there has been no green light for international aid on that subject," despite the conference of donors planned for October. The election's big winner, former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, said Tuesday that it was premature to discuss his chances of returning to power and argued for reconciliation with his opponents, even praising President Emile Lahoud, despite their frosty relations since Hariri's six years in power ended in 1998. Berri also said it was "still too early to talk about who will be the next prime minister, which must wait for the parliamentary consultation process which can only happen once the new parliament comes into operation" October 17th. Outgoing Prime Minister Hoss, who lost his parliamentary seat, Tuesday proposed shortening the mandate of the current parliament "so that a new government could be formed quickly to avoid inertia and paralysis, which would be damaging to the country." Berri said, "Such a move would require holding a special session of parliament." "It would require a decree to that effect signed by the heads of government and state, which I would propose to my colleagues [of the outgoing parliament]" he said without commenting on the chances of such a move. The Amal leader said he would ally himself in the future parliament with the elected deputies of the Hezbollah movement, which is supported by Damascus and Tehran. "The Amal-Hezbollah alliance is not only electoral, but political and strategic, and we will coordinate our actions" in parliament, he said. That alliance won the elections in the predominantly Shiite areas of southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. Berri also called for the return to Lebanon of the anti-Syrian General Michel Aoun, who has been living in exile in Paris since 1990. "If there is a case against him, he should be judged in his own country," he said. |
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