Bassil: Hezbollah dialogue in early stages, condition for decentralization and trust fund before President election

Following a meeting of the political council of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil emphasized the necessity of a collective effort to select Lebanon's next president. 

Bassil stressed that consensus on a presidential candidate could only be achieved by agreeing on an individual who embodies the shared understanding of all parties, and this could be achieved through a constructive dialogue.

"We are counting on Lebanese-Lebanese dialogue, and any external assistance is insufficient," Bassil asserted. 

He highlighted that the foundation for consensus lies in the presidential program, which should serve as the bedrock of mutual understanding, followed by identifying specific qualities that would expedite the naming of a suitable candidate. 

He insisted that such dialogues should be underpinned by a well-defined agenda and a realistic timetable to avoid unnecessary delays.

"We, as a party, are communicating with the majority of the parties, if not all," Bassil added, underscoring the party's commitment to open communication. 

He questioned the wisdom of waiting until September, advocating for a united approach to the presidential selection process to prevent further delays. 

He noted that an early agreement on the presidential candidate would ensure a cohesive direction for the nation's economic and sovereign interests over six years.

Turning to the dialogue with Hezbollah, Bassil said: "There was a meeting recently with the coordination team so that we do not remain in the position of presenting one candidate in the face of another without agreeing on a vision."

He hoped that this dialogue does not stop, asserting that the invite remains open and constant. "What is being discussed with Hezbollah is not backing up or a concession or a deal, but a political action."

He said that they went through a period of communication with Hezbollah, and after June 14, communication resumed and a framework agreement was established without concessions.

The work's approach were focused on two axes: "An agreement on a name outside the existing alignments to accelerate the process of reaching a president and facilitating consensus in exchange for national demands such as expanded administrative and financial decentralization and the trust fund."

Adding that the dialogue with Hezbollah is still starting, and they demand to pass the expanded administrative and financial decentralization law and the trust fund law before electing a president, and agreeing on the mandate program with guarantees for its implementation.

Bassil clarified that what was talked about is for all the Lebanese and not only for FPM.

Bassil described the concepts of decentralization and the trust fund by saying: “Decentralization does not mean federalism, but rather the balanced development of all regions, and the trust fund secures the investment of state facilities and property, not selling them, but rather managing them by the private sector, which increases the state’s revenues, which are allocated for three things: reducing depositors’ losses, financing the state treasury and improving its budget, and feeding the decentralized fund."

Commenting on the laws that the government is seeking to introduce concerning money management by the Central Bank, especially lending to the government, he considered that the only cover the government can get is the popular one and work within the framework of a caretaker government.