BEIRUT (AFP) – Lebanese lawmakers re-elected Nabih Berri as parliament speaker Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term, cementing his reputation as an immovable centerpiece of the country’s political landscape.
Berri’s candidacy went largely unchallenged as he secured 65 votes in the 128-member body
Aged 84, the politician is one of the longest-serving chiefs of any parliament in the world, having held his post for 30 years.
An ally of the powerful Shia resistance movement Hezbollah and the head of the Amal Movement, Berri has weathered decades of turbulence and shifting political tides.
His re-election came as lawmakers took office after a parliamentary vote on May 15, which was the first since the country’s economic crisis and the 2020 devastating port blast in the capital Beirut.
Lebanon’s parliament is equally divided between Christians and Muslims.
Hezbollah and its allies hold sway in the new parliament despite their enemies’ attempts to undermine the political power and popularity of the resistance movement in the recent parliamentary elections.
Berri’s Amal Movement and Hezbollah hold all 27 Shia-allocated seats in parliament but lack an overall parliamentary majority.
His re-election Tuesday was largely expected and held within legal deadlines.