Berri characterizes government delay as “silly” child’s play

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2019 
TAGS: PGOV, EAID, KDEM, OREP, PREL, PTER, SY, EG, LE 
SUBJECT: BERRI CHARACTERIZES GOVERNMENT DELAY AS "SILLY" 
CHILD'S PLAY 
 
REF: BEIRUT 1153 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri 
characterized the ongoing delay in cabinet formation as 
"silly" in an October 28 meeting with the Ambassador.  He 
claimed that the negotiations between Prime 
Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Christian opposition 
leader Michel Aoun had devolved into a "game between small 
boys."  Berri claimed that he and President Michel Sleiman 
were working together to pressure the parties to arrive at a 
solution.  Nader Hariri confirmed to polchief in a separate 
meeting the same day, however, that no agreement has been 
reached on cabinet lineup.  It is possible that Aoun could 
end up with the telecommunications ministry and Aoun's 
son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, as minister in a ministry besides 
telecommunications, Nader advised. The Ambassador outlined to 
Berri U.S. concern over the previous evening's rocket launch 
from south Lebanon into Israel.  Berri declared that he 
needed a government not only for the proper functioning of 
the Parliament, but also so that Lebanon could stem the 
increasing number of security incidents in the south.  He 
encouraged the U.S. to continue with its programmatic 
objectives to enhance the capacity of the Lebanese parliament 
and resource center and welcomed the upcoming visit by Codel 
Price. End summary. 
 
BERRI: "I NEED A GOVERNMENT" 
---------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Berri characterized the ongoing disagreements over 
government formation between Hariri and Aoun as "silly" and 
"a game between small boys" when met with the Ambassador on 
October 28.  Berri, who claimed that two months ago the major 
obstacles to cabinet formation were objections from Egypt, 
Syria and the U.S., said that today there is no reason for 
delay.  The Ambassador refuted Berri's accusation of U.S. 
hindrance, but agreed that it was important that a government 
be formed as soon as possible, a government that would work 
actively to promote stability in the region.  As head of the 
parliament, Berri unequivocally stated that, "I need a 
government" for the parliament to become fully functional and 
handle its legislative responsibilities because every law 
requires the signature of the president, prime minister, and 
the relevant cabinet minister whose portfolio the law falls 
under.  Berri relayed that he had planned an intervention for 
later the same evening (on the margins of a state dinner 
hosted by the president) to pressure Hariri to come to an 
agreement with Aoun expeditiously.  However, Sleiman 
telephoned Berri during our meeting and advised him that 
Hariri would not, after all, be attending the dinner. 
Instead, Berri told us, he and Sleiman would strategize 
one-on-one. 
 
3. (C) One day after Berri had announced the second 
postponement of parliamentary committee elections, he relayed 
that the vote for committees could not go forward because a 
quorum had not been present.  He claimed majority leader 
Hariri had requested the delay in the formation of 
committees, advising Berri prior to the session that the 
majority parliamentarians would be instructed not to attend. 
However, MP Dory Chamoun (Maronite from the Chouf district), 
"accidentally showed up."  When the assembled media 
questioned Chamoun as to why he had shown up, he said he "had 
not received the message." 
 
NADER HARIRI SAYS NO DEAL YET 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Although both Aoun and Hariri have proposed various 
cabinet lineups for the FPM to each other, no agreement has 
been reached, Nader Hariri, advisor to the PM-designate, told 
polchief on October 28.  Hariri's camp is convinced that the 
opposition is trying a two-pronged approach in its 
negotiations:  obtain a "security-related" portfolio such as 
telecommunications or justice while simultaneously arousing 
tension between Hariri and his partners Walid Jumblatt and 
Samir Geagea (both hold portfolios that Aoun is demanding). 
Nader Hariri underscored that the majority alliance is 
strong, and the PM-designate will not surrender the justice 
ministry because he refused to risk creating any problems for 
the Special Tribunal. 
 
 
5. (C) Hariri,s camp believes that the value of the telecom 
ministry is rising daily, so "if we sell it for everything we 
want, it will be a big win for March 14," Hariri reasoned. 
While there is no agreement yet, opposition figure Suleiman 
Frangieh,s recent positive statements about the negotiations 
are a clear sign that Syria wants to move ahead, he added. 
Syrian pressure on the opposition is growing, Hariri 
believed, in light of the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement and 
Syrian President Bashar al-Asad,s scheduled trip to Paris in 
the middle of November.  "He wants to take one item off the 
agenda," Hariri joked.  A significant rotation of ministries, 
as suggested by Berri, is out of the question because "we're 
beyond that," but the cabinet cannot return with each party 
holding the same portfolios as before since "otherwise we 
should just keep Fouad Siniora, too," he opined.  If the 
telecom ministry is given to Aoun in the end, he will be 
offered three "minor" ministries as well (most likely the 
ministry of the displaced, the ministry of social affairs, 
and a third to be decided), Hariri revealed.  This would be 
on the condition that Gebran Bassil not return as telecom 
minister, "to call their bluff." 
 
UNSCR 1701 VIOLATIONS DUE TO "OUTSIDERS" 
---------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) The Ambassador expressed to Berri U.S. concerns over 
continued security incidents in the south that violate UN 
Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701.  As expected, Berri 
immediately urged that the U.S. also hold Israel accountable 
for its violations "everyday over Lebanese land, air, and 
sea."  Berri also theorized that the individuals or group 
behind the October 28 rocket attack from Houla (reftel) were 
Sunni extremists most likely not from the area.  These 
"outsiders," he alleged, sought to launch their rockets from 
beside the home of a Hizballah official to provoke a response 
from Israel, thus creating an Israel-Hizballah conflict. 
Berri said he firmly believed that "neither the Lebanese nor 
Hizballah" were behind the incident.  Houla and other 
incidents are the reason why "we need a government very 
quickly...to stop this," Berri stressed.  In the meeting and 
in her statements to the press afterward, the Ambassador 
registered U.S. condemnation of the previous evening's rocket 
launch from south Lebanon into Israel. 
 
CODEL PRICE: PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION ON TRACK 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
7. (SBU) Speaker Berri explained that the legislative and 
management functions of the parliament are separate.  A 
government is necessary for the legislative side, but in the 
meantime the management side can continue its work, he said. 
He welcomed news of the November 9-10 visit of Codel Price to 
discuss parliamentary assistance and cooperation.  Berri also 
encouraged USAID to move forward with its parliamentary 
resource center program through a grant to the State 
University of New York's Center for International Development 
(SUNY/CID).  The Ambassador advised Berri that the SUNY/CID 
project was projected to begin its work soon. 
 
8. (C) COMMENT: "The outlook for today," as Berri said, does 
not portend immediate progress on cabinet formation.  The 
cooperation between Berri and President Sleiman is 
nonetheless notable and could have a positive impact on 
Hariri.  It is still unclear how much pressure the two can 
actually assert on Michel Aoun since both men's relationship 
with Aoun is fragile.  The report from Hariri's camp shows a 
gradual movement toward accepting to Aoun's initial demands 
for Bassil's return and for the telecommunications ministry, 
albeit with face-saving conditions. 
SISON