Lebanon’s Nabih Berri says his Amal movement will not join next government

14 Sep 2020; MEMO: Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and head of the Amal Movement, Nabih Berri, said yesterday that his movement does not plan to participate in the next government led by Prime Minister Mutafa Adib, Anadolu reported.

A statement issued by Berri’s media office said the movement had informed Adib that it was willing to offer maximum cooperation to ensure Lebanon’s stability, enact reforms and save the economy.

The movement’s decision not to participate in the next government has been made as a result of a “domestic problem”, the movement said. It has previously kept control of the Finance Ministry.

The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, led by Gebran Bassil, also announced that it did not want to participate in the next government.

Since the 4 August blast which shook Beirut and left 300,000 homeless, Lebanon has been forced to undergo changes of risk losing millions in international aid. French President Emmanuel Macron has conditioned the delivery of support on political change in the country and is negotiating a shake up, in an effort to end years of financial mismanagement and corruption.