Aoun, Hizbullah Hold Talks to End FPM Dispute with Berri
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Contacts are ongoing between Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Hizbullah in order to resolve the MP’s dispute with Speaker Nabih Berri ahead of Monday’s cabinet session, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.
Sources close to Aoun said that the contacts have been taking place away from the media spotlight, with the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper revealing that Energy Minister Jebran Bassil held “a lengthy meeting” with Hizbullah Liaison and Coordination Officer Wafiq Safa.
The meetings however did not include any officials representing Berri.
Aoun’s sources told al-Hayat: “We are not seeking to escalate the situation.”
“We will decide whether to end the boycott in the next 24 hours, perhaps on Monday morning before the cabinet session,” they revealed.
Cabinet is set to convene on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, sources close to the speaker have expressed their “disappointment” with Aoun and Bassil’s criticism over his management of parliament, saying: “If it had not been for AMAL and Hizbullah, Bassil would have never been appointed energy minister and Aoun would not have acquired ten ministries.”
Sources close to Hizbullah also criticized Aoun for describing the party as a “spectator” in the current dispute with the speaker.
They ruled out the possibility however of Aoun maintaining his boycott.
Parliament’s endorsement of the Electricite Du Liban workers’ bill last Monday caused a March 8 coalition rift between the FPM on one side and Hizbullah and Speaker Nabih Berri’s AMAL movement on the other.
The draft-law’s approval led Christian lawmakers from both the March 8 and March 14 alliances to boycott the second day of the parliamentary session after they claimed that the employment of the workers would lead to the underrepresentation of Christians in state institutions.
The dispute also led to the suspension of the two cabinet sessions this week.
08 July 2012, 11:46
13
How arrogant this Berri... " If it had not been for amal and hezbollah aoun would not have aquired 10 ministries." He thinks he owns the country. (After 20 years of speakership). If Aoun did not accept those ministries Mr. Berri, noone would have accepted to be an ally in your gouvernment. So chkor rabbak 3a Aoun
Also if you put any other person in those ministerial positions who care about the country, they would have stopped you from employing 2000 people in 700 positions. It is weird how Miqati is silent about this.
08 July 2012, 15:44
21
As usual Aoun will do what Hassan orders him to do, some will claim that the FPM's inflamed speech of late shows how independent they are but we know better. The matters of Charbel Nahhas and Abbas Ibrahim highlight how subservient to Hassan Aoun and his movement are.
08 July 2012, 16:27
22
yes tell us more how it's eeeevery one else's fault except aoun's. and bachar of course
08 July 2012, 18:23
21
We are having another show, Aoun is trying to regain some popularity in the christian street
before the election by confronting Amal & HA before the election ,
09 July 2012, 09:13
00
mad3oos 3ala rason and they will come back to cabinet. another battle aoun lost as he is used to losing battles and crawling back seeking to fit in. he cannot steal if he does not attend cabinet sessions, and syria/iran/hizbullah will stop his money.... he barks to show his illiterate supporters that he is standing up for christian power while all he is doing is filling his pockets and destroying christian presence in lebanon
