House Speaker Nabih Berri mocked the propaganda intimidating him amid reports indicating that US would impose sanctions on him over allegedly obstructing the presidential elections, saying: “I cannot sleep at night”.

“They think they can intimidate me,” Speaker Berri told Al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Friday.

US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said Washington was working with regional and European partners to push the Lebanese parliament to do its job, saying her country as considering the possibility of sanctions.

“I will not call for an unproductive session before two serious candidates are presented,” Berri said, doubting an agreement between the opposition forces and the Free Patriotic Movement on the nomination of former minister Jihad Azour.

Hezbollah and Amal Movement have nominated Head of Marada Movement Sleiman Franjiyeh for presidency on the basis of his unwavering support to the resistance and other political specifications he can resort to in order to play his presidential role.