Michel Aoun. Archive photo Reuters / Mohammad Azakir
Full-blown feuding between the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, and the Head of Parliament, Nabih Berry who have been in total disagreement with regards to numerous and crucial issues for quite some time, including the reform of the electricity sector, as well as the judicial appointments, is back on. Although there was never any love lost between the two men – down the years their relationship has been tumultuous -, the fact remains that they largely disagree over political issues, rather than personal ones, and this is at a time when both men are trying to regain credibility in the eyes of the public, which has become ruthless towards the Lebanese political ruling class. It is in this context that one should look at the series of conflicts that have recently been taken place between the two leaders.
The quarrel has started to escalate due to the deadlock around the issue of reforms to the electricity sector and the solutions that need to be implemented. Berry’s views on this subject are poles apart from the reform plan supported by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), founded by President Aoun. The FPM supports a short term solution using powerships, and in the long term, the construction of a power plant by the Selaata seashore, two initiatives widely criticized by a large part of the public and by several political parties, led by Berry's Amal movement, as well as by the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Forces.
For Berry, the solution -in the long term at least-, is a formula that would rely on the rehabilitation of the existing power plants, namely those of Zahrani, Zouk and Deir Ammar, and maybe building new ones if necessary, as was confirmed to L’OLJ by an Amal official.
The disagreement between Aoun and Berry has not been confined to this issue, but has also extended to another major topic: oil and gas. According to a well informed source, the Speaker of the House was not happy at being left out of the official ceremony marking the first drilling of an offshore well on February 27, a day described as “historic” by the Head of State.
Berry had made sure to send the President a message shortly before the ceremony, telling him that this event should be seen to be national and non-partisan. The message was presumably disregarded by the President, who was accused of having sought to take full credit for the operation, which painted the FPM in a positive light.
Within pro-Aoun circles, there have been no attempts made to contradict the facts, and it has actually been reported that the credit has gone to those who deserved it. "We have been the target of attacks regarding the electricity file for years now. I don't see why we should give up [on] reaping the benefits of this ceremony”, said Eddy Maalouf, MP for Metn (FPM) to L’OLJ, before adding: “Finally, we can enjoy the sweet treats after all the punches that kept coming our way.”
A War Over Accountability
According to a well-informed source, president Aoun told many visitors in private meetings that he considers that the relationship between the trio of Walid Jumblatt, Nabih Berry and Saad Hariri which was originally based on mutual interests, is coming to a close. Aoun has added that, now that Saad Hariri is out, he is determined to battle it out with his other two detractors.
This is a claim that two deputies from Amal and Mr. Maalouf admit "to knowing nothing of". "Everyone knows full well that in Lebanon, no party can eliminate the other in the political arena. I have a feeling that this story is just meant to trigger provocative actions", said Eddy Maalouf.
On Amal's side, the aim is to carry on working cordially with the president, without denying the existence of differences that "in no case should take precedence over the most urgent deadlines", as noted by a member of the Shiite party. "The Lebanese people do not care about our political quarrels. They have other concerns, and the challenges are huge”, said another leader of the movement.
Political interference
Finally, the latest topic of disagreement between Aoun and Berry, are the judicial appointments which, according to sources close to the case, has managed to deepen the gap between the two camps. On the one hand, the Head of State is clearly showing his support to Ghada Aoun (Mount Lebanon’s public prosecutor), whom he would like to see promoted, or at the very least kept in a post which, according to him, she has well deserved, especially due to her efforts at fighting corruption. At the same time, Aoun is insisting on the dismissal of South Lebanon’s Attorney General, Rahif Ramadan, close to Berry, who would like to keep him in post at any cost. This showdown between the two parties has highlighted clear interference on both their parts when it comes to judicial appointments, a practice that was denied by both Amal and the FPM in the past. Both parties –and with a unified voice-, insisted on reaffirming their belief in the importance of an independent judiciary.
Regarding interference in the judiciary, a judge who requested anonymity, confirmed that politicians were manipulating the system in light of the ongoing political feuds, and that the interference was largely, and specifically, related to so-called sensitive posts, such as the public prosecutors’ offices.
"Despite the serious and sincere commitments made by the President of the Superior Council of Magistracy, Suheil Abboud, and the Justice Minister, Marie-Claude Najm, politicians have managed to meddle and interfere”, confides the magistrate who expects however, that the next appointments will be "less disastrous than the most recent ones”.
(This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 4th of March)
