Hizbullah Ally Berri Reelected Parliament Speaker in Lebanon

Lawmakers in Lebanon reelected Nabih Berri as speaker of the parliament, for his seventh term, with a 65-vote majority in the 128-seat parliament. It is the narrowest majority ever won by Berry, who heads the the Shi’ite Amal Movement, and is a close ally of Hizbullah. The position of parliamentary speaker is reserved for a Shiite Muslim.

Tuesday’a parliamentary session is the first since the May 15 elections, in which Reformist candidates made unprecedented gains, reflecting public sentiment that has turned sharply a ruling elite that is widely considered to be corrupt and incompetent. It was the first election held the country experienced an unprecedented financial and economic meltdown.