Abu Jamra: Some Are Born in Riyadh, Run in Beirut!

Just after the Free Patriotic Movement nominated Deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra to Ashrafieh's Orthodox seat due to the absence of candidates who truly represent the heart of Beirut, the expected electoral battle in the country's capital became the talk of the town...

Abu Jamra is, as a matter of fact, competing with An-Nahar newspaper assistant general director Nayla Tueni who's running for the same seat and who was called by the FPM leader to withdraw her nomination from the seat since she was still unprepared to take on the challenges of the upcoming phase.

The nomination of Abu Jamra in the capital instead of the south and the call for Tueni to withdraw from the race were two major reasons to launch another "electoral" conflict between the two rival blocs. For instance, Tueni rebuked Aoun's contention that she should not run in Ashrafiyeh by claiming that the FPM leader has no "legal, political or moral right" to make these demands. Tueni, just like other politicians from the loyalty, also wondered whether "Ashrafiye truly lacked qualified representatives or has Aoun's electoral alliances in Hasbaya led him to underestimate the sons of Ashrafiyeh and insult them in this manner."

The response came, however, from Abu Jamra personally who affirmed during an exclusive interview with Al-Manar that his history of struggle and defense of Ashrafie during the tougher days of war authorizes him to run in the capital of all Lebanon.

Abu Jamra didn't forget to draw everyone's attention to the fact that, although he was born in the southern district of Hasbaya, he has still the right to run in the capital, noting that he's more appropriate to the seat than those who were born in Saudi Arabia but run in Beirut without the complaint of anyone. "The FPM leadership, including myself, found it appropriate that I run in Ashrafie along with the FPM member Nicolas Sehnawi," he said, expressing at the same time all respect for all Ashrafie people.

The Deputy Prime Minister, meanwhile, retorted to MP Marwan Hamade campaign against his nomination in Beirut, noting that the Democratic Gathering MP, alongside his bloc, were the ones who displaced and dislodged the current Ashrafie residents from Mount Lebanon and are preventing them from returning to their villages. Abu Jamra also called on Hamade to count the number of his bloc's colleagues who are running in regions other than their own before criticizing others.

While commenting on Aoun's "advice" for Tueni to withdraw her nomination from Ashrafiye, Hamade said that MP Michel Aoun "will be kicked out of Metn and will be forbidden form entering Ashrafiye." He went on to claim that the daughter of the late MP Gebran Tueni "does not need the certification of failed officers" to run in the elections, signaling former army commander General Aoun.