Report: Berri Unveils 'Political Favor' Traded with Aoun

Speaker Nabih Berri unveiled an old agreement between him and President Michel Aoun when the latter vowed to Berri that the finance ministry will always be given to a Shiite minister as long as Aoun is president, As Safir daily reported Monday.

Berri unveiled the agreement that goes back to 1988 when Lebanon was under the Syrian tutelage and President Michel Aoun was Army Commander. He said that Aoun had vowed that the finance ministry portfolio will always be given to a Shiite minister as long as he is president, shall Berri convince the Syrian leadership of helping Aoun reach the presidential post, the daily reported.

Berri was a cabinet minister during that era.

Berri's comments come in light of difficulties facing the formation of the government and amid the disputes over the distribution of shares and ministerial portfolios, including the finance ministry which Berri says will not concede to any other party.

Berri stressed to the daily that he does not want to control the cabinet, but at the same time he refuses to be controlled by anyone.

Referring to the latest tensions that arose between him and Aoun, the Speaker expressed astonishment that the President has “reopened the file of the parliament term extension.”

The Berri-Aoun tensions have renewed in recent days after the president blamed the weakness that has hit state institutions on the repeated extensions of the parliament's term. Berri hit back swiftly, saying the lengthy presidential void is the main culprit.

Berri attributed the weakness in Lebanon's states institutions to a number of issues and said that the term extension of the parliament was not the only thing to blame.

As for the distribution of portfolios, Berri emphasized that he is not ready to concede the portfolio of public works.