March 8’s Aoun Problem

Sleimen Franjieh, head of the Marada gives an insight of the kind of rut the opposition is in.

This is the size of the hole you’ll fall into

Albalad, citing knowledgeable sources, reported today that Franjieh advised Nabih Berri not to accept a compromise candidate or the opposition will lose Aoun and what he termed “Christian political cover.”

Franjieh, going against the declared goal of both sides to reach an “understanding” (taswia) said that it’s better to have March 14 hold a half+1 parliamentary session and let them chose their own President, because that would ‘disband’ March 14. Whereas a compromise would undo the opposition itself.

The same sources told albalad that “Hezbollah can’t get into a compromise because they gave Aoun guarantees for which they got paid in advance” (MOU, July War, Riots)

Knowing Albalad’s sympathy with Aoun, the sources might as well be part of the FPM, indirectly threatening their allies.