Khalil Says Berri's Bloc to 'Vote against Aoun', AMAL to 'Join Opposition'

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Speaker Nabih Berri's aide and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil confirmed Tuesday that Berri's Development and Liberation bloc would “vote against” Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun in any presidential election session.

“The problem with General Michel Aoun cannot be resolved with a visit (to Berri) and the issue is not a matter of formalities,” Khalil was quoted as telling reporters.

Marada Movement chief “MP Suleiman Franjieh was briefing us on all the details of his agreements with ex-PM Saad Hariri, unlike the General,” the minister added.

“We will take part in the presidential election session and we will vote against Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri will be the first person who will congratulate him,” Khalil went on to say.

He also noted that Berri's AMAL Movement would “join the ranks of the opposition” should Aoun be elected president.

“We see things heading to the Maronite-Sunni bilateral power-sharing of 1943 and we will confront this scenario,” Khalil added.

In remarks published Tuesday in al-Akhbar newspaper, aides to Berri had accused Aoun and Hariri of seeking to undermine “the partnership with political Shiism that followed the Taef Accord.”

Asked whether a return to the 1943 pact would ignite a new civil war, the sources said: “That's true. What they are doing will lead to a civil war and we will fight to defend ourselves and Hizbullah!”

MP Alain Aoun of the FPM announced Monday that Hariri will announce his endorsement of Aoun “this week.”

The ex-PM has been exploring the possibility of endorsing Aoun for several weeks now and on Sunday Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced that Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid.

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 launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate 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 argue 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 10
Missing humble 18 October 2016, 15:37

Politicians love lying. Because it helps them manipulate the followers.

Missing humble 18 October 2016, 15:48

For me, I haven't changed. Caporal - president or not- remains corrupt, liar, megalomaniac, mareed, jaban, and traitor. He isa destroyer, not a builder.

Missing humble 18 October 2016, 15:49

He is surrounded by super-corrupt people.

Thumb chrisrushlau 18 October 2016, 16:51

Isn't it rude to refer to yourself as a bloc?

Thumb beiruti 18 October 2016, 16:57

This could have been predicted. Hezbollah was with Aoun only when he was the poison pill for the rest of the country, so that by backing him, Hezbollah was backing the paralysis and, Hezbollah hoped, the fall of the Taif 50-50 regime.
Geagea exposed this with his endorsement of Aoun. The Shia had said for 2 years, if all the Christians give us a Christian consensus candidate, we will vote for him. As soon as they did, the Shia balked.
Hariri's coming around to terms with Aoun has now given way to this threat of civil war in Lebanon if Aoun is elected.
It is a bluff. Hezbollah is too deeply involved in the Syria War to open a new front at home that would lead to its defeat and the loss of its home base for regional operations. But, Berri, always loyal to his pocketbook, is doing Hezbollah's bidding with this stunt.

Thumb gma-bs-artist. 18 October 2016, 17:18

"Berri Says Aoun, Hariri Seeking to End 'Partnership with Shiites', Warns of Civil War"

So it's "المثالثة" or civil war then. Once again Aoun's destructive pathological lust for the presidency will further erode Christian representation. Ironically if he ever becomes president it will be on the shoulders of the same people he deserted and betrayed in 2005 from Paris following Syrian and Hezb promises of the presidency. Had he held to the same principals he fought for the previous 15 years maybe he's be enjoying his retirement an ex-president respected and lauded. Now all his allies since 2005 will be voting against him, allegedly except Hezbollah. The Marada, SSNP and Baath MPs will be voting for Frangieh as will the man who gave him ten ministers in the Hezballah cabinet of 2011. Allas if he's elected he will not be finishing his term either because of age or because of the Bashir Gemayel/Rene Mouawad syndrome, "you do what we tell you to do or you die".

Thumb enterprise 18 October 2016, 17:18

The shias said they will go along with whoever the Christians choose for president. Why are they now creating all these problems? or was it just takiah as usual?

Thumb enterprise 18 October 2016, 17:30

18 August 2014: Berri denied that holding the presidential elections needed a Sunni-Shiite dialogue, saying “the problem is not with Muslims.”

“Let the Christians agree,” the speaker was quoted as saying by his visitors.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/143670

Thumb barrymore 18 October 2016, 18:24

AMAL to 'Join Opposition'

but how will they "steal" if they are not in the government? Will they dedicate their time to just drug trafficking and ransom money from kidnappings?

Default-user-icon jnoubius (Guest) 19 October 2016, 03:13

@1anonymetexasusa

And you do not know how to read.