Naharnet

Moussawi: AMAL Can't be Replaced in Political Equation

Hizbullah's outspoken MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi stressed Monday that “no political force” can replace the AMAL Movement in the “national political equation.”

“Based on our alliance, we hold onto the important, consensual and constructive national role that Speaker Nabih Berri has always played and we are holding onto this role in order to protect national accord, reconcile viewpoints and find solutions to crises,” the member of the Loyalty to Resistance bloc added.

“We hold onto him as a main, sole and permanent candidate for the parliament speaker post,” Moussawi emphasized.

Berri's “role is not only limited to the leadership of the parliament and it should continue to be part of the efforts to build the constitutional and national institutions,” the MP added.

The speaker has recently announced that he would join the ranks of the opposition should Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun be elected president, stressing that his bloc will not vote for the FPM founder.

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.

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.


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