Report: Berri to Shun By-Elections in Jezzine

Speaker Nabih Berri might not engage in the by-parliamentary election battle in the southern area of Jezzine against the candidate of the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday.

“Berri, who supports Ibrahim Azar the son of a former MP, might not wage a battle against the FPM candidate, Amal Abou Zeid, in Jezzine's parliamentary by-elections,” March 8 sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.

“From the beginning, Berri had planned to leave the vacant seat for the FPM. He did not plan to wage a battle and might call on Azar to withdraw his candidacy,” the sources added.

“He finds it useless to do so with the parliamentary elections less than ten months away. He also wants to set a consensual municipal list for the upcoming elections in Jezzine,” they added.

But they emphasized that the speaker has not announced his stance yet.

Seven candidates will be running for the post which has been left vacant by the death of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Helou, who passed away in 2014.

The candidates are: Michel Elias al-Helou, Jad Rizk, Patrick Rizkallah, Amal Abou Zeid, Ibrahim Azar, Kamil Serhal, and Salah Jebran.

The by-election will be held simultaneously with municipal elections that kicked off in Beirut and the Bekaa-al-Hermel region over the weekend.

The elections in Mount Lebanon will be held on May 15.

Elections in south Lebanon and Nabatieh are set for May 22 and north Lebanon and Akkar for May 29.

D.A.

M.T.