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SHERRI DROPS OUT OF BEIRUT, HATOUM FROM BAABDA AS DIFFERENCES CONTINUE OVER JEZZINE
NaharNet
April 23 2009
Lebanon
As the constitutional deadline for withdrawing candidacies passed at
midnight Wednesday, formation of lists came under the spotlight as
115 candidates pulled out of the race and 587 decided to engage in
the electoral battle.
Three Armenians have already been selected unopposed in seats in Beirut
and the Metn after rival candidates withdrew, Interior Minister Ziad
Baroud said at a press conference.
The major changes came from Hizbullah whose number of candidates
dropped from 11 to 10 after the withdrawal of Beirut 2 candidate MP
Amin Sherri in favor of Amal candidate Hani Qobeisi.
Baabda's second Shiite seat problem was also resolved after it went
to Free Patriotic Movement candidate Ramzi Kanj at the expense of
Amal candidate Talal Hatoum.
Al-Akhbar newspaper said Thursday that the changes do not mean the
problem between Speaker Nabih Berri and FPM leader Gen. Michel Aoun
was solved.
Aoun still holds onto "competition" in Jezzine although Hizbullah tried
to give him Baabda's Shiite seat in return for keeping Berri-backed
MP Samir Azar in Jezzine.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, in its turn, quoted sources following up
Hizbullah's continued mediation between Berri and Aoun as saying
that the Shiite party decided to sacrifice Sherri although he is the
strongest in Beirut 2 district in order to send a message of the need
to stay loyal to allies even at one's own expense.
The message also stressed the need to remain unified despite
differences over electoral seats.
The newspaper said that the mediation's final results will start
appearing beginning Thursday.
NaharNet
April 23 2009
Lebanon
As the constitutional deadline for withdrawing candidacies passed at
midnight Wednesday, formation of lists came under the spotlight as
115 candidates pulled out of the race and 587 decided to engage in
the electoral battle.
Three Armenians have already been selected unopposed in seats in Beirut
and the Metn after rival candidates withdrew, Interior Minister Ziad
Baroud said at a press conference.
The major changes came from Hizbullah whose number of candidates
dropped from 11 to 10 after the withdrawal of Beirut 2 candidate MP
Amin Sherri in favor of Amal candidate Hani Qobeisi.
Baabda's second Shiite seat problem was also resolved after it went
to Free Patriotic Movement candidate Ramzi Kanj at the expense of
Amal candidate Talal Hatoum.
Al-Akhbar newspaper said Thursday that the changes do not mean the
problem between Speaker Nabih Berri and FPM leader Gen. Michel Aoun
was solved.
Aoun still holds onto "competition" in Jezzine although Hizbullah tried
to give him Baabda's Shiite seat in return for keeping Berri-backed
MP Samir Azar in Jezzine.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, in its turn, quoted sources following up
Hizbullah's continued mediation between Berri and Aoun as saying
that the Shiite party decided to sacrifice Sherri although he is the
strongest in Beirut 2 district in order to send a message of the need
to stay loyal to allies even at one's own expense.
The message also stressed the need to remain unified despite
differences over electoral seats.
The newspaper said that the mediation's final results will start
appearing beginning Thursday.