Announcement of Minority Lists Await Removal of Several Obstacles
Several obstacles are delaying the announcement of minority lists in a number of districts, a source following up contacts to form the tickets told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.
The Aley list hasn”t been finalized yet because Minister Talal Arslan insists on being the only Druze on the list, leaving the second Druze seat empty, according to the source.
As for Baabda, minority forces didn”t decide yet on the name of the second Shiite candidate. The formation of the list is also awaiting Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun”s consultations to choose the third Maronite from among Alain Aoun and Naji Gharios.
Aoun has already chosen Maronites Hikmat Deeb and Chakib Qartbawi for the Baabda list.
Differences between Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri have also delayed formation of the Jezzine list, the source told al-Hayat. Berri insists on nominating Samir Azar, who is from his parliamentary bloc, while Aoun wants Jezzine”s three candidates to be from his Free Patriotic Movement.
Aoun is still waiting for Hizbullah”s mediation between him and Berri to avoid having two minority lists against a ticket backed by independents and the March 14 forces in Jezzine, al-Hayat said.
In Kesrouan, the newspaper said that it is not yet clear if Aoun will cooperate with former MP Fares Boueiz. Media reports had said that the FPM leader had chosen Boueiz and discarded either MP Nihmatallah Abi Nasr or Youssef Khalil.