Election Battle Over, Speakership Battle Begins between Berri, Oqab Saqr
Once again tension is in the air. If recent rhetoric is any indication, a battle indeed is brewing between Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and MP-elect Oqab Saqr.
The race for the speakership is centered around Berri, who already announced his candidacy for another term before parliamentary elections, and Saqr, the majority March 14 coalition”s favorite candidate.
MP Ahmed Fatfat said he favors Saqr to win the speakership.
"I will personally elect Oqab Saqr house speaker," Fatfat said in an interview with Al-Arabiya TV network, pointing that Berri "did not carry out his role as Speaker, but acted as a leader to a political movement."
Fatfat said, however, that if the majority March 14 coalition is to elect Berri for another term, "then this should take place as part of a political agreement that would guarantee Berri”s practice in the next four years," reaffirming his intention to elect Saqr as Lebanon”s new speaker.
Berri maintained silence over the issue, saying only to Al Akhbar newspaper that he is "natural candidate."
"It is still early to go into this," Berri added, drawing the attention to the need for "giving consensus among the Lebanese all the attention."
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, meanwhile, renewed his support for Berri for another term as speaker.
He said, however, that March 14 forces did not yet begin discussions on the issue, adding that his support for Berri is a "personal position," pending the meeting of his allies.
Jumblat, in an interview with Al-Akhbar, stressed on putting the May 2008 bloody events "behind us."
"Otherwise, we will never get over this issue," he insisted, asking: "Did Berri have the right to close parliament doors? Was Berri not implementing a constitutional right when he shut parliament doors?"
"These arguments will never end. Whatever happened, happened. I don”t want to go back to the past," Jumblat went on. "Let”s start a new phase after June 7."
MP Saad Hariri, for his part, told BBC radio that he would hold a meeting with Jumblat and other allies to decide on the new speaker.
While Hariri described as "excellent" his relation with Berri, he pointed to the "need to see what the political interest is."
"Berri has played a positive role at some stages, but we were at odds with him in other stages," Hariri added.
Al Akhbar, however, quoted well-informed sources as saying Hariri supports the unconditional re-election of Berri.
It said Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and National Liberal Party chief Dori Chamoun, however, disagree with their allies.
The daily Ad-Diyar, meanwhile, quoted opposition sources as saying there were "no major objections," thus, Berri”s return to the speakership is certain.