Aoun for Open-Ended Battle with Berri if Speaker is Ready
Speaker Nabih Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun are still at loggerheads over the districts of Jezzine and Baabda.
Indirect contacts between Berri and Aoun through Hizbullah in the past few days have reached a dead-end, according to As Safir newspaper on Tuesday.
It said Aoun refused to have MP Samir Azar on Jezzine”s consensus list unless he got the Orthodox seat in Zahrani.
"If Speaker Berri wants to have a battle, then let it be an open-ended battle between me and him," As Safir quoted Aoun as saying to his supporters and allies.
In Baabda, the problem between Berri and Aoun is on the second Shiite name on the list, according to As Safir.
The daily said Aoun refused to include Berri-backed Talal Hatoum in the list and gave priority to his FPM”s candidate Ramzi Kanj or another candidate who will be decided by Aoun and Hizbullah.
But Ad-Diyar newspaper said it is premature to judge on the differences between Berri and Aoun because there is still time to solve problems.