LEBANON: CODEL PEOSI MEETS SPEAKER NABIH BERRI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000482 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARHESE/HARDING E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2017 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: CODEL PEOSI MEETS SPEAKER NABIH BERRI Classified By: Chistopher W. Murray, Charge d'Affaires. Reason: Sct ions 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri tld CODEL Pelosi on April 2 that it is the lack o Shia representation in the cabinet, and not theinternational tribunal, that is the real crux ofthe Lebanese political crisis. Berri refuses toconvene a formal session of Parliament or work wih the illegitimate cabinet, claiming that such a sep would cause the Parliament to lose its legitiacy or the opposition deputies to resign. Lebann's problems are primarily internal, and Berri sid, and recommended that the United States help fnd a solution by pressuring Saad Hariri to contiue his dialogue with Berri, as well as by engaging Syria and Iran to solve problems in the region. Berri claimed to have no knowledge of the welfar or whereabouts of the kidnapped Israeli soldiersbut agreed to "ask" about their well-being. EndSummary. EXCLUSION, NOT THE TRIBUNAL, THE SOURCE OF THE STALEMATE -------------- ¶2. (C) Nabih Berri, Shia Speaker of Parliament ad leader of the Amal Movement, hosted a working lnch on April 2 for CODEL Pelosi. The CODEL was ed by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nacy Pelosi (CA); and comprised Representatives To Lantos (CA),Henry Waxman (CA),Nick Rahall (WV, David Hobson (OH),Louise Slaughter (NY) and Keth Ellison (MN). The Charge, PolChief, and Pol-Ecnoff accompanied the CODEL. ¶3. (C) Speaker Pelosi asked Speaker Berri to share his insights ino the political stalemate in Lebanon. Berri expained that each democracy is distinct, and with 18 religious communities in Lebanon it is essential hat the government not exclude any one group. "hat, and not the international tribunal, is the eal problem," Berri said, complaining that the Mrch 14 majority allowed Amal and other groups onl two days to translate and study the 30-page draft tribunal legislation. Berri boasted that he wasamong the first to suggest an international tribnal with a mandate inside Lebanon, following theexample of Sierra Leone, and to call for a nationl dialogue. But two days was not a fair opportuity for the Cabinet to consider the Tribunal docments, Berri said, and the Shia Cabinet ministers responded by resigning. A LEGITIMATE PARLIAMENT MUST NOT WORK WITH AN ILLEGITIMATE CABINET -------------- ¶4. (C) The Cabinet lost its legitimacy when the Shia and pro-Lahou cabinet ministers resigned, Berri opined; whilestill a functioning entity, the Cabinet will not be legitimate until all communities are once again epresented there. Holding a Cabinet meeting witout Shia ministers present would be like holdingcongressional elections without the participatio of several large states, Berri analogized. ¶5. C) Parliament is not closed, Berri said, since the Speaker and the parliamentary committees are stil meeting. He admitted however that he will not cll for a formal session or allow the parliamentay committees to consider any new legislation refrred from an "illegitimate" Cabinet. If he did cll for a formal parliamentary session, Berri speulated, perhaps the 57 opposition deputies would wlk out, causing the Parliament to also lose its egitimacy. ¶6. (C) Speaker Pelosi reasoned that o one person can decide whether a government is legitimate or not, and that the international community does not see any Lebanese effort to fix this problem. Pelosi argued that the international community might conclude that if the Parliament isn't legitimate, then the Speaker isn't legitimate. In addition, Congresswoman Slaughter, head of the Rules Committee, proposed that Berri use the Chamber of Deputies' rules and procedures to push for a resolution to the political stalemate. LEBANON'S PROBLEMS ARE INTERNAL -------------- ¶7. (C) Berri claimed that the United States wrongly blames *********************** * Missing Section 002 * ***********************