Report: Berri Refuses to Meet Hariri, Won't Facilitate Government Formation under Aoun

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Speaker Nabih Berri has refused to receive al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri after knowing that the ex-PM plans to brief the Speaker on his intention to nominate MP Michel Aoun for the post of the presidency, al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday.

The daily said that Hariri had requested to meet Berri and that the latter had accepted. But shortly afterward, head of the Mustaqbal received a message from Berri that said: “No need for our meeting if you wish to tell me that you will be nominating (MP Michel) Aoun. It is better that you receive (Berri's political aide and Finance Minister) Ali Hassan Khalil and discuss whatever you want.”

Khalil had therefore told Hariri during the visit that the Liberation and Development bloc

(of Berri) will not vote in favor of Aoun and is also not committed to name Hariri or anyone else for the premiership.

Media reports said that an agreement to bring Aoun as president would secure Hariri's return to the post of the premiership.

Khalil has also stressed that Berri will not facilitate the formation of a government under Aoun (the founder of the Free Patriotic Movement), according to the daily.

Hariri 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 Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman 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.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 17
Thumb ex-fpm 19 October 2016, 09:25

The daily said that Hariri had requested to meet Berri and that the latter had accepted. But shortly afterward, head of the Mustaqbal received a message from Berri that said: “No need for our meeting if you wish to tell me that you will be nominating (MP Michel) Aoun. It is better that you receive (Berri's political aide and Finance Minister) Ali Hassan Khalil and discuss whatever you want.”

KSA is obstructing the election of Aoun!

Thumb Southern...... 19 October 2016, 11:08

red flags at tel aviv streets!? remove them.. btw, which part of your family are jews?

Default-user-icon secter (Guest) 19 October 2016, 14:04

Southern you hate Jew. Do you hate Christians as well, how about Buddhists, Yazidis or Hindus

Thumb Southern...... 19 October 2016, 18:31

99% of jews are zionists.... they robbed Palestine, continous aggression toward Lebanon, Israel is an apartheid country, they still practicing terror and assassinations toward the remaining of the Palestinian people, etc.. as for the list you provide, ask the jewish people if they hate them, surely they do but not me.

Thumb galaxy 19 October 2016, 09:33

That is how the head of an armed militia talks to a prime minister and the political representative of a major community in Lebanon.

It is not his fault... It is Hariri's fault for receiving Khalil instead of telling them both to go to hell.

Default-user-icon HankFromUS (Guest) 19 October 2016, 17:07

Yes a political representative. But Berri isnt a political representative being speaker and all. Just the head of an armed militia. Matroot inti man..

Missing humble 19 October 2016, 10:43

The reality is that PM Hariri is bankrupt and he was convinced by Nader who made a deal with Imbassil for sharing the offshore oil and gaz...!!!

Thumb Southern...... 19 October 2016, 11:08

"I hope Israel will bomb "our" platforms": and you still deny that you're an Israeli, filthy up to the neck..

Default-user-icon kazan (Guest) 19 October 2016, 10:48

Equal rights is a precondition for sustainable justice and peace; without equal rights a population is doomed to be divided and will not be united as one nation under one flag.In Lebanon religion in politics is directly blocking equal rights , all previous and current attempts to unite the population are window dressing! Solution? yes, the population, and not politicians or religious leaders, has to demand disconnecting religion from politics. Arguments such as " this will lead to marginalisation of religious minority", is a not true , it is a manipulation invented by opportunists.

Missing humble 19 October 2016, 11:24

If there is one who is Israeli and Zionist it is you Mr South and your Ebola who by Taqqiya claims you are enemy while both are allies in Syria's Butcher...

Missing humble 19 October 2016, 11:29

@Terrorist
You are one of the best patriots and a highly educated person, please ignore the silly messages of Mr South-Israel which are not worth a dime...

Thumb Southern...... 19 October 2016, 14:04

i can't believe it!!!! how can you defend a creature like him?, he's a sort of mix of wahhabism and zionism, thus anti-Lebanese, while you claim to be patriot.

Missing humble 19 October 2016, 15:21

The most antipatriot are Ebola and Ebola followers. No discussion!!!

Missing lebaneseamerican1 19 October 2016, 16:56

Well well... how the masks have fallen. The Duke of Berry has all but said he does not want a Christian president. Now I ask M8 supporters, if you please: who's obstructing the presidency?? Enlighten me.

Missing humble 19 October 2016, 17:59

We never needed a proof to know who is obstructing the presidency.it has always been Ebola and their stooge the Caporal to whom you can add Monsieur the Duke du Barry

Thumb shab 19 October 2016, 20:14

As I've said several times, it was all planned by Hariri and Gaegae long time ago. M8 are now exposed

Thumb dasphinx 19 October 2016, 22:26

eza 2a3ad 3oun 3al kerseh ma 7ada 7a yshilo gheir 3ezra2il