Report: Nasrallah Met Berri ahead of Expected Talks with Aoun

W460

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has held a “lengthy” meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri and talks tackled all the developments of the presidential file and Berri's “political and sectarian concerns,” a media report said on Sunday.

“The meeting was positive and it tackled the stance of the AMAL Movement leader,” ad-Diyar newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying.

It said that there is a “full agreement that each party would respect the commitments of the other party regarding the presidential candidate.”

The sources noted that there are no agreements on “all the other essential issues, such as the re-designation of ex-PM Saad Hariri as premier, the cabinet line-up or the distribution of the portfolios.”

“These are essential issues that Berri, Hizbullah, the Progressive Socialist Party and other parties cannot leave to (Free Patriotic Movement chief) Minister Jebran Bassil and (Hariri's adviser) Mr. Nader Hariri,” the sources added.

“These issues have to do with all the influential political forces in the country and political disputes and obstruction would surface” should these forces be excluded, the sources warned.

Ad-Diyar also noted that a tripartite meeting will be held between Nasrallah, Berri and FPM founder MP Michel Aoun “hours before the election of the new president.”

Berri, who has openly declared that he opposes the election of Aoun, has pledged that his bloc will take part in the October 31 electoral session and that he will not try to strip the meeting of its quorum.

Berri's aides have accused Aoun and Hariri of striking a “bilateral” agreement that would marginalize Shiites in power, allegations that Aoun and his movement have denied.

Aoun was tipped to become president after 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 7
Thumb lubnani.masi7i 23 October 2016, 13:59

It said that there is a “full agreement that each party would respect the commitments of the other party regarding the presidential candidate.”

But they don't respect the choices of non shia parties if they disagree with their choice of presidential candidate. These non-conforming parties become obstructionists, going against the will of the Christians, etc etc.

Thumb justin 23 October 2016, 15:34

lol it is the shia definition of democracy

Thumb .mowaten. 23 October 2016, 19:11

are you guys capable of anything more than sectarian BSing and hate? pathetic.

Missing CFTC 23 October 2016, 19:38

Bold and Courageous as ever

@mowaten
What can one say, another E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T comment. I particularly enjoyed the part where you said "are you guys capable of anything more than sectarian BSing and hate?."

Thank you for making our lives so much better.

Still laughing since January 2015.

Thank You again .mowaten.

Default-user-icon mowatendarta (Guest) 23 October 2016, 20:43

well said mowaten

Thumb beiruti 23 October 2016, 19:05

Fear grips the nation. Well Berri have space at the public trough to dip his snout so that he can steal enough from the ministries to feed his zilm. Or will the thief Thibran Bassil and Nadir Hariri leave nothing for them after they have stolen all that there is to steal for the Christians and the Sunni zilm.
If there is nothing this kills Berri and leaves Nasrallah as the sole giddo of the Lebanese Shia, not a bad outcome for Nasrallah to eliminate his competition.

Default-user-icon defarto (Guest) 23 October 2016, 20:44

I agree about the illusions