Islamic Jamaa’s Alliance with Hariri Faces Log of Obstacles

No progress has been made with regard to the formation of an election alliance between the head of the Future Movement MP Saad Hariri and the Islamic Jamaa.

Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar said on Friday that talks between Hariri and the Jamaa have so far failed to bring view points closer.

Hariri on Wednesday met with a delegation from the Islamic Jamaa headed by Ibrahim Masri and reportedly informed it of the possibility to include its candidate, Ali Sheik Ammar, to his Sidon list.

Hariri reportedly told the delegation he was willing to accept the Jamaa parliamentary candidate in Akkar Mohammed Hawshar if Prime Minister Fouad Saniora joined the election race.

Islamic Jamaa sources, meanwhile, told Al-Akhbar that Hariri was not willing to accept more than two candidates from the Islamic Grouping on his list, "provided that he grants us a cabinet portfolio in the next government."

The delegation rejected Hariri's offer, insisting on having three candidates on the Future Movement's electoral ticket.

"If they nominate Saniora in Sidon, we will be outside its (Future Movement) election battle," one source said. "The same goes to Tripoli, meaning that our alliance with Future faces a log of obstacles."