Berri Slams Accusing Aoun and Hariri of Seeking to 'Topple Shiism'
Berri denied reports that quoted him as accusing the al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri and MP Michel Aoun of seeking to “topple Shiism,” and described the reports as “inciting,” An Nahar Daily reported on Wednesday.
“All the news and talks that AMAL and the Liberation and Development bloc mentioned something about a Maronite-Sunni bilateral power-sharing of the 1943 are unfounded. This rhetoric is inciting and I categorically deny it,” Berri told the daily.
“We will not boycott the election sessions in spite of our objection to vote for Aoun. I will congratulate anyone who succeeds,” he added.
Media reports alleged Tuesday that Berri had accused Aoun and Hariri of seeking to “topple political Shiism” in Lebanon, warning that such an attempt might lead to a “civil war” in the country.
MP Alain Aoun of the FPM announced Monday that Hariri will announce his endorsement of Aoun “this week.”
The ex-PM has been exploring the possibility of endorsing Aoun for several weeks now and on Sunday Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced that Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.
Hariri launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
Source: Naharnet
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