Bassil: We didn't vote for Berri and we don't have the majority

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced Tuesday that his bloc did not vote for Speaker Nabih Berri in the parliament speaker election.

“Our stance is known as to the parliament speakership vote, which is that we cast blank votes,” Bassil said after the election session.

“As to the deputy speaker post, this battle has been postponed since four years,” Bassil added.

“What happened today was democratic and it puts great responsibility on our shoulders,” Bassil went on to say, noting that all talk about minority and majority is incorrect.

“It is nice to compete against each other with nobleness and honor, not treason accusations and skepticism,” the FPM chief added.

And pointing out that “it is true” that the FPM’s candidates for deputy speaker and parliament secretary have won both races, Bassil said “this doesn’t mean that the majority is with us.”

“Days will prove that the majority is a fluid concept and there should be less deals and compromises,” Bassil went on to say.

Media reports had said that at least four members of Bassil's bloc would vote for Berri. Other reports said that Bassil's bloc would vote for Berri in return for obtaining the votes of the Speaker's bloc for its deputy speaker candidate, Elias Bou Saab.