Hizbullah Steps In To Help Solve Aoun-Berri Dispute in Jezzine
Hizbullah has intervened in an effort to solve an election-related dispute in Jezzine pitting opposition allies – Hizbullah and Free Patriotic Movement Leader Gen. Michel Aoun.
Tension was reportedly high following a campaign launched by FPM candidate Ziad Aswad against electoral rivals headed by MP Samir Azar, who is an ally of Speaker Nabih Berri.
Pan-Arab daily Al Hayat said Wednesday that Aswad failed to heed to calls for a halt to the campaigns and continued escalation, accusing Berri of trading votes with the majority March 14 forces in Jezzine.
Citing sources in Jezzine, al Hayat said Aoun informed Hizbullah that Aswad’s statements do not reflect the FPM’s opinion.
Aoun, however, did not keep his promise to issue an explanatory statement, which upset Berri’s Liberation and Development bloc which indicated that it was going to be forced to issue a strongly-worded protest for being targeted by the FPM.
The daily al Liwaa said Hizbullah dispatched Ghaleb Abu Zainab to meet Aoun. No agreement has been reached by the two sides, however, according to the paper.