Aoun, Hizbullah Reportedly Reject Postponement of Oct. 31 Voting Session

W460

Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun and his ally Hizbullah have rejected any postponement of the October 31 presidential election session, a media report said on Sunday.

“The idea of postponing the session to mid-November was raised in a small circle, but General Aoun totally rejected it, considering it an attempt to create reasons, justifications and factors that would torpedo the election,” An Nahar newspaper quoted sources close to Aoun as saying.

“Hizbullah understood his fears in this regard, pledging that the session will be held on time,” the daily added.

Speaker Nabih Berri, who has openly declared that he opposes the election of Aoun, has pledged that his bloc will take part in the session and that he will not try to strip the meeting of its quorum.

Aoun was tipped to become president after al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri formally endorsed his nomination on Thursday.

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 had launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Hizbullah's ally and 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 have argued 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.

Comments 3
Thumb shab 23 October 2016, 13:45

And the show goes on and on and on.....

Thumb .mowaten. 23 October 2016, 19:13

anonyme anomyme... are you here? lol

Thumb .mowaten. 23 October 2016, 19:14

how does this work with your theory that hezbollah wants to delay and avoid the election of Aoun? cant wit to see you try to wiggle your way out of this one