Beirut -- Despite a call by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for a Saudi-brokered settlement to the Lebanese Crisis, a Hezbollah-affiliated columnist said Friday Riyadh opposes giving the opposition veto powers in a new Lebanese government.

Columnist Yassir al-Hariri, a Shiite Muslim who is affiliated with Hezbollah 's deputy leader Sheik Naim Qassem, wrote that "Saudi Arabia does not want to give a one-third guarantee (of cabinet seats) to the opposition and is buying time in favor of majority forces while awaiting clear regional and international indications as to whether the region is heading either towards a military operation against Iran, Syria and Hezbollah or a comprehensive settlement."

Hariri's article was published by the pro-opposition ad-Diyar newspaper under the sub-headline: "Saudi Arabia does not want a 19-11 settlement formula."

Contents of the article attributed to unnamed opposition sources, sharply contradicted with Berri's call for a Saudi-brokered settlement to the Lebanese crisis.

Berri, who also heads the Shiite AMAL faction, is a prominent figure in the Hezbollah-led opposition and has represented the alliance that is backed by Syria and Iran in negotiations with majority representative, MP Saad Hariri.

MP Hariri in a statement distributed Thursday said the March 14 majority alliance was ready to go to Saudi Arabia to "declare a settlement" to the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon, not to negotiate one.

He was echoing the official Saudi stand that it is up to the Lebanese factions to agree on a settlement, after which the kingdom would host its declaration, thus guaranteeing its implementation.

Saudi Arabia is keen on maintaining that it does not interfere in domestic Lebanese issues, although it uses its good offices with the various groups to help them reach a settlement.

The opposition has been trying in vain since Dec. 1 to topple Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's majority government, which enjoys the backing of both the Arab and international communities, with the exception of Syria and Iran.

Picture: Speaker Nabih Berri ( R) and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Naharnet, Ya Libnan