Aoun-Hezbollah alliance going through the toughest times; will it survive?

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah signed a memorandum of understanding on February 6, 2006.      

This alliance went through the most difficult times including the July 2006 war, the Beirut downtown sit-in, May 7, the parliamentary elections, the ousting of a government and the formation of another…etc.        

It seems that in light of the Syrian crisis, the government of PM Najib Mikati will be the most difficult test for this memorandum, especially that the criticism, remarks and discontent of the opposition began to appear in public. The issue of EDL contract workers is a drop in the ocean of risks that threaten this memorandum.        

In this regard, Change and Reform bloc member MP Alain Aoun told LBCI that the memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah has an “unwavering” national dimension “and a political dimension that might change.”     

While Hezbollah leaders and MPs are bound by their leadership’s decision to remain silent and stay away from the media, the councils of the Free Patriotic Movement and Change and Reform bloc are sparing no criticism for themselves, their ally or the ally of their ally.           

The councils even criticized the memorandum, especially item number 4 pertaining to the state building, item number 7 pertaining to security and item number 10 related to the defense strategy.       

Both in the Parliament and the FPM leadership, Aounists do not hesitate to criticize the "negative impartiality" adopted by Hezbollah in regards to the “stumbling relationship” with its allies in March 8. Aounists are now fully aware that Hezbollah has no desire to interfere in the details of the rule.        

According to them, Hezbollah aims at weakening the FPM on the threshold of parliamentary elections and political transformations that could be the founders of the new political era.