Berri Accuses Geagea of Manipulation after Aoun's Endorsement

Speaker Nabih Berri has accused Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea of manipulating politicians after he became incapacitated to launch verbal attacks on his long-time rival Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun.

“Geagea is sitting up there and manipulating us,” he said about the LF chief's residence in the mountainous town of Maarab.

“He is no longer capable of attacking Aoun as he used to do,” Berri told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat published on Tuesday.

Last week, Geagea's support for the candidacy of Aoun sparked a war of words between the LF chief and the Speaker.

Berri reiterated that the presidential polls have been “put in the freezer,” ruling out the election of a new head of state at the February 8 session following the divisions that emerged after Geagea's endorsement of Aoun.

The speaker, who is backing Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh along with al-Mustaqbal movement chief Saad Hariri for the country’s top Christian post, denied that the lawmaker's nomination was made by Lebanon's Muslims.

“This claim is baseless,” said Berri.“From the beginning, we had limited choices.”

The only candidates were Aoun, Franjieh, Geagea and former Kataeb chief Amin Gemayel, he said, calling the situation as “undemocratic.”

“Lawmakers should head to the parliament and vote for their candidate. Whoever wins becomes president,” Berri told the newspaper.

Following Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's announcement last week of his party's “ethical and political commitment” to Aoun, the presidential race became limited between the Change and Reform chief and Franjieh, said Berri.

G.K.

D.A.