MP Alain Aoun: Presidential Iftar Will Help Ease Tension

Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Alain Aoun stressed on Thursday that President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri are not in a dispute and the misunderstanding between the two is a mere “divergence of views.”

“There is no disagreement between Aoun and Berri to need to reconcile at the Baabda Iftar. There is a divergence of views,” said Aoun in an interview to VDL (100.5).

"Today's gathering will clear the air and help reach a new electoral law," he said.

A disagreement emerged lately over who between Berri and Aoun has the jurisdiction to call for an extraordinary parliament session.

The Speaker, who called for an extraordinary session on June 5, was criticized by FPM officials under claims that the “issue is one of the President's constitutional jurisdictions.”

Berri justified his move saying that although Prime Minister Saad Hariri had sent a draft decree to open an extraordinary session to President Michel Aoun, but Berri did not receive any confirmation from the president which compelled him to call for the June 5 session to avoid vacuum.

An annual Ramadan Iftar hosted by President Michel Aoun at the Presidential Palace on Thursday will reportedly accelerate agreement on a new voting system.