Between Aoun and Berri, a non-aggression pact or the start of an alliance?

Relations between President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri are seemingly going better than expected.While initially having no common ground — due to what seemed like irreconcilable differences in both personality and their respective views of public affairs — the two men appear to have found some understanding since the Jan. 9 presidential election. It was no secret: Berri, the head of the Amal Movement, was not fond of the former army chief, perhaps because he feared a repeat of his “painful” experience with former president Michel Aoun, another military man who became Berri’s most bitter rival. This animosity with the new president could also be explained in light of Berri’s suspicion over Aoun’s perceived rigidity on reforms and even on the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons. The speaker may also have been wary of the...