Berri Prefers Franjieh over Aoun, Says Has Much to Reveal if Necessary

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized a campaign that held him accountable for the failure to elect founder of the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun as president, and said that the purpose of the campaign is to “manipulate the facts and distort the truth,' As Safir daily reported on Monday.

“Shall (al-Mustaqbal Movement leader) ex-PM Saad Hariri decide to support Aoun, the “General” would become a president the next day no matter what my stance is. How can I be the one obstructing his arrival at the Baabda Palace in that case?” asked Berri.

However, the daily said that Berri does not hide his initial choice, he said : “Shall I be made to choose between Aoun and (Marada Movement chief) Suleiman Franjieh, I would unhesitatingly elect Franjieh and I have my reasons.”

Furthermore, Berri criticized the FPM's decision to boycott the cabinet meetings under the slogan of commitment to the National Pact and how the movement considered the government as illegitimate after the FPM minsters boycotted its meetings, while the military government headed by Aoun in 1988 continued to work then despite the resignation of half its Muslim members.

The Speaker went to say “I advise the FPM not to push too hard in embarrassing me because I can reveal much shall I decide to say what I know.”