Two weeks following the parliamentary elections, serious disagreements erupted between Amal movement cadres in more than one southern town about who handles the operations of the regions.
According to special sources, President Nabih Berri will host lively delegations that are arguing about a variety of issues, the most of which are taking place in the town of Qana.
The movement’s head is concerned that these discrepancies will be reflected in the movement’s base participation and the fact that Amal’s candidates will earn a lesser percentage of preference votes compared to their counterparts from Hezbollah’s partner.
According to the same sources, cadres in the movement accuse Berri’s political assistant, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, and security official Ahmed Baalbaki of controlling the movement and its decision, which prompted leaders in its ranks to stop participating in running the affairs of the movement’s bases in Southern Lebanon.
Activists in Tyr are objecting to its not being represented by any MP since the departure of MP Ali Al-Khalil, uncle of the current Minister of Finance, Youssef Al-Khalil.
Berri is quoted in his councils that the continuation of these differences in his organization will negatively affect the participation of the movement and its supporters in the May 15 elections.
The latter failed to nominate Nabatiyeh’s deputy Yassin Jaber and his reluctance left a wave of resentment because Berri replaced him with businessman Nasser Jaber, who has relations with Berri’s son “Basel.”
Voters in Bint Jbeil are also objecting to replacing MP Ali Bazzi with the son of his hometown, Ashraf Baydoun.
Follow-up Shiite parties make it clear that there is no fear that the party or the movement will be able to obtain the 27 Shiite seats, but there will be a significant difference between the two parties’ deputies and the interest of the party whose deputies received the greatest number of Shiite voters in Beirut II, Mount Lebanon, and the Bekaa.
One of the concerns expressed by the movement is that Hezbollah will cast preference votes for the candidates of the Free Patriotic Movement.
