Lebanese veteran is speaker again

By Natalia Antelava
BBC News, Beirut

Nabih Berri (whose image is seen) is a power broker in Lebanon

The veteran speaker of parliament in Lebanon, Nabih Berri, has been re-elected following the 6 June election.

Mr Berri, a Shia politician, has been speaker since 1992. He is allied with the Hezbollah-led opposition which was beaten by pro-Western parties.

Lebanon's oldest lawmaker, 79-year-old Abdel Latif Zein, presided over the first parliamentary session.

Once the MPs had voted for the new speaker the youngest of them, 26-year-old Neila Tweini, announced the winner.

It is a parliamentary law based on an old tradition that the oldest MP presides over the first session.

For years this is how Lebanese MPs have chosen their speaker and for years they have chosen the same man.

Ninety out of 128 MPs voted for Nabih Berry - re-electing him to the post for the fifth time.

Twenty-eight legislators cast blank ballots.

Learn lessons from the resistance and to back the resistance for as long as Israel remains a threat Nabih Berri Lebanon poll offers no easy answers

"I am sure that those who cast blank ballots today will re-elect me in four years," Mr Berri said in his acceptance speech.

Nabih Berri, the former leader of a pro-Syrian militia, is one of the country's most powerful politicians.

As he entered his 17th year as speaker, he talked about the need to confront what he called a constant threat from Israel.

He said the Lebanese army should learn lessons from Hezbollah, whose powerful militia fought Israel in July, 2006.

"I warn you about the security and intelligence war on our country, and that is why I call to reinforce our army, to learn lessons from the resistance and to back the resistance for as long as Israel remains a threat," Mr Berri said.

He also called on MPs to work together to form a new unity government, but this is not going to be an easy task.

Accommodating Hezbollah

Just like Lebanese society, its parliament is deeply divided along sectarian and religious lines and many are concerned that forming a cabinet will be long and difficult.

One stumbling block could be the issue of Hezbollah's arms. Hezbollah wants to protect its militia, and is likely to demand veto power - an ability to block major government decisions.

Last year, supporters of Hezbollah and the pro-Western government put Lebanon on the brink of a civil war. Their street clashes ended in a peace deal, which gave Hezbollah the veto power it had long demanded.

But following this election, the pro-Western parliamentary majority has said it will not give Hezbollah this veto power again.

It is just one of many disputes that could create a political deadlock.