Berri Says Aoun's Endorsement 'Not Sufficient' to End Vacuum

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he would not announce his stance from Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea's endorsement of Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun for the presidency before the picture becomes clear.

In remarks to his visitors, Berri said: “As the head of Amal Movement, I will bring together the leadership council and the Politburo when the picture becomes clearer to take the final stance from the presidency.”

Geagea withdrew from the presidential race on Monday and announced his support for Aoun in an attempt to end the 20-month presidential deadlock.

Asked about the rapprochement between the two men, Berri said: “What happened confirms my theory that there are no enmities among the Lebanese. They only have rivalries.”

“It created a positive atmosphere on the Christian level,” he said.

But the speaker stressed that the decision taken by Geagea “is not sufficient” to end the vacuum.

The next session for parliament to elect a president is on February 8. But it is not yet clear whether Lebanon will have a head of state on that date and if Aoun can garner enough votes to be elected.

Several parliamentary blocs have not yet announced their stance from Geagea's support for Aoun.

Sources said that Berri is endorsing Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh.

Both Aoun and Geagea were angered late last year when al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri nominated Franjieh without consulting them.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who is Aoun's son-in-law, visited Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Tuesday in an attempt to clinch the speaker's support for the Change and Reform chief.

“We are witnessing a breakthrough, which we hope will speed up the election of a president and we hope our allies will support us,” he said.

G.K.

D.A.