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Nabih Berri (Template:Lang-ar; born 28 January 1938) is the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon. He heads the Shi'a Amal Movement.

Early life and education

He was born in Bo, Sierra Leone to Lebanese parents on 28 January 1938.

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 top of his class 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. He also graduated from Paris-Sorbonne University in France. During the 1960s, he joined the Arab Nationalist Movement.

Early career

During 1963, Berri was elected as president of the National Union of Lebanese Students, and participated to student and political conferences. During his early career he became a lawyer at the Court of Appeals. In the early 1970s, Berri worked in Beirut as a lawyer for several companies.

In 1980, Berri was elected leader of the Amal Movement, leading the resistance against the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. He remains president until today due to fact that the general conferences of Amal Movement reelected him each time as head of the Movement. He was the key player of the Intifada of 6 February 1984 against the sectarian regime, an uprising which produced the Taif Agreement between the Lebanese parties.

Berri also joined the National Unity government as minister of state for South Lebanon and reconstruction under Prime Minister Rashid Karami in May 1984. He also served as the minister of housing and co-operatives.

Later political career

Berri served as a cabinet minister from 1984 till 1992:

• April 30, 1984 to September 22, 1988: Minister of Justice in the government of Rashid Karami.
• November 25, 1989 to December 24, 1990: Minister of Hydraulic& Electric Resources in the government of Selim Hoss.
• November 25, 1989 to December 24, 1990: Minister of Housing& Cooperatives in the government of Selim Hoss.
• May 16, 1992 to October 31, 1992: Minister of state in the government of Rachid Solh.

He is reported to have the biggest influence in the Lebanese government formed after the Taif Accord.

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 chairs the Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc. 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 June 7, 2009. All the members of the Bloc won the elections on 2009.

Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon

He was elected Speaker of the parliament of Lebanon for the first time on 20 October 1992 (105 votes out of 124 votes). He was re-elected for a second time on 22 October 1996 (122 votes out of 126 votes). He was elected to the same post three more times on 17 October 2000 unanimously (124 votes out of 126 votes), on 28 June 2005 (90 votes out of 126 votes) and on 25 June 2009 (90 votes out of 127 votes)

During his time at office, several laws were passed, notably the laws regarding Public Freedoms (Human rights, rights of the disabled, women's rights). He is the biggest supporter of the Abolition of political sectarianism, Strengthening the independence of the judiciary system, strengthening public institutions and municipalities and restoring the role of the Economic and Social Council. He is a supporter of a modern electoral law on the basis of relativity.

Arab World

Since 1999, he chairs the Arab Parliament Committee in charge of disclosing the Israeli crimes against Arab civilians. On 3 June 2003, he was elected president of the Arab Parliament and handed the presidency in Damascus on March 1, 2004 for a period of two years. He was elected president of the Council of the Parliamentary Union of the Member States.

Islamic Level

Nabih Berri was elected President of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States in Dakar-Senegal in March 9, 2004 until March 9, 2006.

International Level

Since 1993, he chairs the Union of Parliamentarians of Lebanese Descent including 156 members of parliament and senators from 19 countries.

Personal life

Nabih berri is married to Randa Assi Berri.

References

1. Fandy, Mamoun (2007). (Un)civil war of words: media and politics in the Arab world. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-275-99393-1. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
2. Nir, Omri (15 February 2011). Nabih Berri and Lebanese Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-10535-5. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
3. "Nabih Berri". Wars of Lebanon. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
4. "Nabih Berry Biography" (PDF).
5. Owen, Roger (October 1984). "The Lebanese Crisis: Fragmentation or Reconciliation?". Third World Quarterly. 6 (4): 934–949. doi:10.1080/01436598408419807. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
6. ^ "Nabih Berry Biography" (PDF). Cite error: The named reference "Nabih" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
7. ^ "Minister of justice". FamousWhy.
8. Haddad, Simon (April 2002). "Cultural diversity and sectarian attitudes in postwar Lebanon" (PDF). Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 28 (2): 291–306. doi:10.1080/13691830220124341. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
9. "Nabih Berri Facts". YourDictionary, Under Syria's Influence part.
10. Mallat, Chibli. Lebanon's Cedar Revolution An essay on non-violence and justice (PDF). Mallat. p. 122.
11. Gambill, Gary C. (July 2001). "Dossier: Rafiq Hariri". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 3 (7). Retrieved 17 March 2013. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Template:Persondata

• Use dmy dates from January 2013
• 1938 births
• Living people
• Lebanese University alumni
• Lebanese Shia Muslims
• Lebanese expatriates in the United States
• Speakers of the Parliament of Lebanon
• People from South Lebanon
• Amal Movement politicians