Nabih Berri
{{short description|Lebanese politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{pp-30-500|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = His Excellency
| name = Nabih Berri
| image = Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament - 2024.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Berri in 2024
| office = Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon
| president = Elias Hrawi
Émile Lahoud
Michel Sleiman
Michel Aoun
Joseph Aoun
| predecessor = Hussein el-Husseini
| successor =
| term_start = 20 October 1992
| term_end =
| office1 = President of the Amal Movement
| predecessor2 = Hussein el-Husseini
| successor2 =
| term_start2 = 1980
| term_end2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|1|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bo, British Sierra Leone
| party = Amal Movement
| alma_mater =
| spouse = Lila Berri (div.)
Randa Berri
| nationality = Lebanese
| children = 10
| website = {{URL|http://www.nabihberry.com/}}
| footnotes =
| native_name = {{nobold|نبيه بري}}
| native_name_lang = ar
}}
Nabih Mustafa Berri ({{langx|ar|نبيه مصطفى برّي|translit=Nabīh Muṣṭafā Barriyy|links=hh}} {{Pronounciation|En-us-Nabih Berri from Lebanon pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg}}; born 28 January 1938) is a Lebanese politician who has been serving as Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon since 1992. He heads the Amal Movement and its parliamentary wing, Development and Liberation Bloc.{{cite book|author=Mamoun Fandy|title=(Un)civil war of words: media and politics in the Arab world|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5QfURgCJmekC&pg=PA75|year=2007|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-99393-1|page=75}}{{cite book|author=Omri Nir|title=Nabih Berri and Lebanese Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5KxcQAACAAJ|date=15 February 2011|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-10535-5}}{{cite news|title=Nabih Berry Biography|url=http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503202806/http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|archive-date=3 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}
Early life and education
He was born in Bo, Sierra Leone to Lebanese Shia parents on 28 January 1938.{{cite web|title=Nabih Berri|url=http://wars.meskawi.nl/people.html#6|publisher=Wars of Lebanon|access-date=27 January 2013}} His father, Mustafa Berri, was a trader there.{{cite book|author1=Dominique Avon|author2=Anaïs-Trissa Khatchadourian|title=Hezbollah. A History of the "Party of God"|date=2012|publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=9780674067523|page=197|url=https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674067523|doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674067523}}
Berri went to school in Tebnine and Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon, then continued his education in Bint Jbeil and Jaafariya supplementary schools in southern Lebanon and later studied at the Makassed and the Ecole de la Sagesse in Beirut. He graduated with a law degree from the Lebanese University in 1963, where he had served as the student body president, and became a lawyer at the Court of Appeals.[http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-7956.html official website of the Lebanese parliament]. Country-data.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.
Early career
During 1963, Berri was elected as president of the National Union of Lebanese Students,[http://www.whichcame1st.com/Nabih-Berri.htm Nabih Mustafa Berri biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411212819/http://whichcame1st.com/Nabih-Berri.htm |date=11 April 2015 }}. Whichcame1st.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2014. and participated in student and political conferences. During his early career he became a lawyer at the Court of Appeals. In the early 1970s, he worked in Beirut as a lawyer for several companies.
= Lebanese Civil War =
In 1980, Berri was elected leader of the Amal Movement,[http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/88.htm Amal]. Countrystudies.us. Retrieved on 5 August 2014. and led the resistance against the Israeli army especially in the south of Lebanon and Beqaa and the most famous battle was the battle of Khalde in 1982.
Berri agreed to participate in the Salvation Committee, a body set up by President Elias Sarkis following the Israeli invasion. The committee included Bachir Gemayel, the Maronite commander of the Lebanese Forces.{{cite news |last=Harfoush |first=Mohammad |date=18 February 2013 |title=Hezbollah, Part 1: Origins and Challenges |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/02/hezbollah-beginnings-challenges.html |accessdate=24 March 2013 |newspaper=Al Monitor}} Husayn Al-Musawi considered Berri's actions "treasonous" and Amal's orientation too secular. In response, Musawi declared Berri a traitor, and broke from Amal to set up his own faction called the Islamic Amal. The movement's ranks rapidly grew to around 1,000 militants.
Berri was the key player of the Intifada of 6 February 1984 with his ally Walid Jumblatt leader of the Progressive Socialist Party against the Lebanese sectarian government of Amin Gemayel, where officers and soldiers were called to defect from the Lebanese Army and made ground for the Taif agreement that ended the civil war.{{cite web|url=http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/conflict-resolution.html|title=AUB: The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement|access-date=6 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015080935/http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/conflict-resolution.html|archive-date=15 October 2018|url-status=dead}}[http://www.lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf official website of the Lebanese parliament] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503202806/http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|date=3 May 2014}}
In May 1984 Berri joined the National Unity government as minister of state for South Lebanon and reconstruction under Prime Minister Rashid Karami.{{cite journal|author=Roger Owen|title=The Lebanese Crisis: Fragmentation or Reconciliation?|journal=Third World Quarterly|date=October 1984|volume=6|issue=4|pages=934–949|jstor=3991803|doi=10.1080/01436598408419807}} He also served as the minister of housing and co-operatives.{{cite news|title=Nabih Berry Biography|url=http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|work=lp.gov.lb|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503202806/http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|archive-date=3 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}
Political career
Berri served as a cabinet minister from 1984 to 1992:{{cite news|title=Lebanese Parliament official website|url=http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503202806/http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|archive-date=3 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}
- 30 April 1984 to 22 September 1988: Minister of Justice in the government of Rashid Karami.{{cite web|title=Minister of justice|url=http://people.famouswhy.com/nabih_berri/#6|publisher=FamousWhy}}
- 25 November 1989 to 24 December 1990: Minister of Hydraulic & Electric Resources in the government of Selim Hoss.
- 25 November 1989 to 24 December 1990: Minister of Housing & Cooperatives in the government of Selim Hoss.
- 16 May 1992 to 31 October 1992: Minister of state in the government of Rachid Solh.
Due to strong Syrian backing and to Berri's proximity to Syrian officials in Lebanon, he was reported to have the biggest influence in the Lebanese government formed after the Taif Accord.{{cite journal|last=Haddad|first=Simon|title=Cultural diversity and sectarian attitudes in postwar Lebanon|journal=Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies|date=April 2002|volume=28|issue=2|pages=291–306|url=http://ipac.kacst.edu.sa/eDoc/2006/159617_1.pdf|access-date=3 July 2012
|doi=10.1080/13691830220124341|s2cid=143827267|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527162504/http://ipac.kacst.edu.sa/eDoc/2006/159617_1.pdf|archive-date=27 May 2013|df=dmy-all}}
Berri headed the list of "Liberation" in the parliamentary elections that took place in southern Lebanon on 6 September 1992, which was won in full. The other lists he headed were "Liberation and Development" in the parliamentary elections on 8 September 1996, which was won in full. Since 1992 he has chaired the Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc.[http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf Official Lebanese parliament website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503202806/http://lp.gov.lb/admin/uploads/files/CV%20President%20Berry%20En.pdf|date=3 May 2014}}. (PDF) . Retrieved 5 August 2014.
Berri headed the list of "Resistance and Development" in the parliamentary elections that took place in southern Lebanon on 3 September 2000, which was won in full. He also headed the list of Liberation and Development in the parliamentary elections which took place in June 2005, which was won in full. Currently, Berri heads the list of "Liberation and Development" in the parliamentary elections on 7 June 2009. All the members of the Bloc won the elections in 2009.
= Speaker =
He was elected Speaker of the parliament of Lebanon for the first time on 20 October 1992 (105 out of 124 votes).{{cite web|title=Nabih Berri Facts|url=http://www.yourdictionary.com/nabih-berri#6|publisher=YourDictionary, Under Syria's Influence part}} He was re-elected for a second time on 22 October 1996 (122 out of 126 votes). He was elected to the same post on 17 October 2000 unanimously (124 out of 126 votes), on 28 June 2005 (90 out of 126 votes),{{cite book|author=Chibli Mallat|title=Lebanon's Cedar Revolution An essay on non-violence and justice|publisher=Mallat|page=122 |url=http://mallat.com/books/Appendix1%20and%202.pdf |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202044246/http://mallat.com/books/Appendix1%20and%202.pdf|archive-date=2 February 2012}} on 25 June 2009 (90 out of 127 votes),{{cite news|title=Nabih Berry Biography|url=http://www.nabihberry.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A9/}} and on 23 May 2018 (98 out of 128 votes).{{cite web|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%A9/1154488|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707172409/https://www.aa.com.tr/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%A9/1154488|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 July 2018|title=نبيه بري رئيسا للبرلمان اللبناني للمرة السادسة|publisher=Anadolu Agency|language=ar|date=23 May 2018}} This makes him the longest-serving head of a legislative assembly in the world.{{Cite web |title=Berri Family |url=https://lebanon.mom-gmr.org/en/owners/individual-owners/detail/owner/owner/show/berri-family/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=lebanon.mom-gmr.org |language=en}}
File:Iranian FM Javad Zarif meeting Nabih Berri in his office.jpg (right) meeting with Berri in his office in Tehran]]
Since 1999, he has chaired the Arab Parliament Committee in charge of disclosing Israeli crimes against Arab civilians. On 3 June 2003, he was elected president of the Arab Parliament and handed the presidency in Damascus on 1 March 2004 for a period of two years. He was elected president of the Council of the Parliamentary Union of the Member States.
On 9 March 2004, Nabih Berri was elected President of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States in Dakar-Senegal until 9 March 2006.[http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/home/ OIC official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910060058/http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/home/|date=10 September 2015}}
Nabih Berri was always and is still a major supporter of the dialogue between all Lebanese parties, religions and sects. During the last national dialogue session in May 2014, Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that "power-sharing between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon would not change under any circumstance," adding that he spoke on behalf of the Shia, Sunnis and the Druze.{{cite news |author=Joseph A. Kechichian |date=6 May 2014 |title=No change in power-sharing formula in Lebanon |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/region/lebanon/no-change-in-power-sharing-formula-in-lebanon-1.1328924}}[http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/May-06/255491-leaders-praise-sleiman-at-final-dialogue-session.ashx#axzz32uZF3lWO Leaders praise Sleiman at final Dialogue session]. Daily Star. 6 May 2014. In 2013 and 2014 he supported the UCC, the teachers, public employees, and the armed forces in Lebanon, in their fight to increase their salaries, and has held many meeting with political leaders in an effort to attain his goal.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Aug-01/265734-differences-linger-over-salary-scale-ordeal.ashx#axzz3C3NlLCDF|title=Differences linger over salary scale ordeal|work=The Daily Star Newspaper |access-date=7 August 2015}}
Since 1993, Berri has chaired the Union of Parliamentarians of Lebanese Descent, including 156 members of parliament and senators from 19 countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/1998/Apr-21/16858-deputies-of-lebanese-origin-say-diaspora-should-be-citizens-too.ashx#axzz33f6SETXG|title=Deputies of Lebanese origin say diaspora should be citizens too|work=The Daily Star|date=21 April 1998|access-date=5 August 2014}}
Personal life
Berri has married twice and he has six children with Lila, his first wife, and four with his second wife, Randa Assi Berri.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/18/world/man-in-the-news-pivotal-figure-in-the-beirut-crisis-nabih-berri.html|title=Man in the News; pivotal figure in the Beirut crisis: Nabih Berri|work=The New York Times|date=18 June 1985}}{{cite journal|author1=Gary C. Gambill|author2=Ziad K. Abdelnour|title=Dossier: Rafiq Hariri|journal=Middle East Intelligence Bulletin|date=July 2001|volume=3|issue=7|url=http://www.meforum.org/meib/articles/0107_ld1.htm}}
Electoral history
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Year ! rowspan="2" |Office ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party ! colspan="3" |Votes ! rowspan="2" |Result ! rowspan="2" |{{abbr|Ref|Reference}}. |
| Total
! % ! {{abbr|P|Position}}. |
|---|
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" |1992
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |105 |82% |1st |Won |https://al-akhbar.com/Politics/249040, برّي رئيساً دائماً: استثناءٌ يصنع القاعدة |
| 1996
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |122 |95% |1st |Won | |
| 2000
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |124 |97% |1st |Won | |
| 2005
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |90 |70% |1st |Won |
| 2009
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |90 |70% |1st |Won |
| 2018
|Deputy | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |42,137 |28.61% |1st |Won |
| 2018
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |98 |76% |1st |Won |
| 2022
|Deputy | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |42,091 |32.57% |1st |Won |
| 2022
|Speaker | style="background-color:{{party color|Amal Movement}};" | |65 |50.78% |1st |Won |
References
{{Reflist|33em}}
External links
{{Speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berri, Nabih}}
Category:Amal Movement politicians
Category:Justice ministers of Lebanon
Category:Lebanese University alumni
Category:Lebanese Shia Muslims
Category:Lebanese expatriates in the United States
Category:Speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon
Category:Sierra Leonean people of Lebanese descent
Category:Sierra Leonean emigrants to Lebanon
Category:21st-century Lebanese politicians