Hariri to Declare Support of Aoun's Nomination Thursday Afternoon
Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri is expected to officially announce his support of the presidential nomination of Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun during a televised appearance that will be held on Thursday.
“Several MPs and figures have received invitations to attend Hariri's declaration of his support for Aoun's nomination tomorrow at 5:00 pm at the Center House,” LBCI television reported Wednesday.
A Mustaqbal Movement source meanwhile confirmed to al-Mayadeen television that Hariri will declare his support of Aoun on Thursday.
"Since Hariri has decided to endorse him, and save any last minute change, Michel Aoun will be elected by parliament on October 31," a senior politician told Agence France-Presse earlier in the day, declining to be named.
According to a source close to Hariri, the ex-prime minister struck a deal with Aoun to endorse him in exchange for his return as premier.
Hariri's previous endorsement of the candidacy of Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh had been met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
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.
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.
19 October 2016, 21:11
19
MTV: Hizbullah will likely seek to postpone the October 31 electoral session.
19 October 2016, 21:12
15
Allah Nassrallah Aoun W'Bass
Allah Nassrallah W'Bass
Nassrallah W'Bass......
19 October 2016, 22:50
14
Cutie:
The Thailandish future king messaged me on whatsapp and said he could not believe that a fouthian will become president. I told his majesty that Mr. Al Hariri is under a spell of voodoo and magic. He assured me that no Lebanese wold be allowed ever again in Thailandish.
I did parasailing, scuba diving, and flew my drone over Koh Lanta Cutie.
19 October 2016, 22:18
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Here is what this means:
Hariri could not endorse Aoun as long as Aoun was the Shia(Hezbollah) candidate without seriously jeopardizing his position in the Sunni political community. Aoun has lately been an Assad apologist as well which is anathema to the Sunni of Tripoli and of all Lebanon.
When Hariri floated his trial balloon and Berri and AMAL came out hard against the endorsement and said that they would NEVER support Aoun, this was political cover for Hariri to go forward with the rapprochement with Aoun.
Given Aoun's craven desire for the Baabda Chair, Aoun no doubt sold his soul to the Sunni and to the Taif Project, rejecting the Hezbollah Tripartite project, and this sealed the deal to bring Hariri with Geagea to back Aoun, thus isolating the Shia, who are pissed and stewing, but can do nothing but huff and puff because their army is out of the country.
20 October 2016, 01:48
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Aoun had multiple opportunities to "sell his soul" ;94 Baabda yet he always went against the overarching political current.
Can't wait to witness all your doom and gloom scenarios to sink. It's gonna be fun, as much fun as reading your friends here and your foolish posts throughout the year, chuckling at your naivety and simple mindedness.
The time of extremists is over. Get over it.
20 October 2016, 04:34
03
94 Baabda? LOL
you won't witness any of it I'm afraid ;)
Aoun's own allies are making sure of it daily. They keep putting spokes in his wheels. Every time he thinks he's getting closer to Baabda, new demands are put forth. And they will keep coming up with new ones and obstructing until he croaks, they hope he croaks before he realizes that they are using him.
Memorize this, there in no Berri without Nasrallah
19 October 2016, 22:21
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Yes, he is a lunatic, but the PM is the head of the government, and, if a lunatic, the President can be gotten around for the country to operate.
The Lebanese Presidency, however, in the hands of the right person, is a powerful office in the Lebanese System in terms of appointments and general direction of the government. But in the hands of Aoun, well, anything is better than a void. An Aoun Presidency has finally come about because the only other alternative has come to be a void. If any other living breathing person was a viable alternative, then Aoun would have to be avoided at all costs.
20 October 2016, 15:28
01
He is exposing Hezbollah and rebuilding a solid Christian-Sunni alliance. Jumblatt is back to a difficult place and he will have to take sides. The sunnis will initially be lost, just like when he backed Franjieh, but they will turn around when they see how much Hezbollah & Iran have to lose. This is the best move Hariri could have done given the circumstances and it exposes everything. But it is a big gamble and a kamkazi move. There is nothing that guarantees the man will survive this and the sunnis already have big gripes at him for not being strong enough. But he is the only thing properly standing in Hezbollah's way. If it means the end of him, so be it, the sunnis will have sold out their only real leader and will be weak and in disarray. The next election will be huge and it battering. Somehow, I think Hariri will survive, just like his dad did in 2000 after everything the Syrians tried. At which point Iran will probably try to kill him.
