Azour's nomination to be declared Saturday, Berri insists not to call for session

The opposition and the Free Patriotic Movement MPs will likely announce their presidential candidate, former minister Jihad Azour, on Saturday, al-Joumhouria newspaper said.

Informed sources told the daily, in remarks published Friday, that Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi after hailing the agreement would ask Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah to call for a session and to secure quorum.

But Berri has long said that he will not call for a presidential election session, downplaying the agreement, despite threats of U.S. sanctions on Lebanese leaders obstructing the election of a new president.

Berri mockingly said that "he can't sleep at night" because of the sanctions threats.

"They think they can intimidate me, I will not call for an unproductive session before two serious candidates are presented," Berri told al-Joumhouria, accusing the opposition of failing to agree on a "serious" candidate.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea had confirmed earlier this week an agreement with the FPM on Azour and said that he can get more than 65 votes, while Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported Friday that Azour will get at least 68 votes as he also has the support of the Democratic Gathering bloc MPs.

"Before counting votes, have they agreed on him," Berri asked.