Report: Berri, Bassil 'intersect' on Khoury's nomination

Speaker Nabih Berri has inched closer to “intersecting” with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil over the presidential nomination of retired army brigadier general Georges Khoury, a media report said.

Khoury would be considered a so-called “third candidate” and would replace Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Wednesday.

“This intersection came after Berri became convinced that Franjieh is no longer the candidate who can be endorsed in defiance of the Christian decision. He has also become convinced that Khoury has good chances, seeing as he was formerly Lebanon’s ambassador to the Vatican and had good ties with the Syrian tutelage regime -- when he was an intelligence chief during president Emile Lahoud’s tenure (1998-2007) -- and also with the ‘defiance camp’ after the Syrian army’s withdrawal in 2005,” the daily said.

“Moreover, Khoury, whose election might not be opposed by Bkirki, also enjoys Bassil’s support,” Nidaa al-Watan added.