FPM leader Bassil continues presidential breakthrough efforts

It seems that the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, does not take any days off, as he announced after participating in the Christmas Mass in Bkerki. He will continue his efforts until the first week of the new year, when he is expected to announce the results of the efforts. 

After he met with the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, Bassil started his efforts with his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, which was leaked on the eve of Bassil's visit to France. He also met a few days ago with head of the Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt. Various media outlets also leaked that Bassil conducted two other meetings.

A meeting took place and brought together the FPM head and the Marada Movement leader, Sleiman Frangieh, in the house of a mutual friend, Alaa Al-Khaweja, who worked to bring both parties together. The meeting was kept confidential, and the two parties refused to comment.

A second meeting brought Bassil together with the caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati.

Follow-up sources confirmed to LBCI that Bassil and Mikati also met at Alaa Al-Khaweja's place, adding that the meeting was not planned ahead of time. The same sources described the meeting as having acquired a social character.

According to LBCI's sources, Bassil's old-new efforts and all his meetings are divided into two categories. The first is external, and the meetings in this context are publicly announced, such as the meetings in France and Qatar. The second part is internal and includes many contacts with many personalities, some leaked and others undisclosed.

The information added that these efforts aim to agree on the president's program first. After that comes attempts to search for a name that qualifies for this program rather than the other way around. 

An integrated understanding would accompany the president's program and name. That agreement would include the name of the next prime minister and ministers. Thus, this basket should have the agreement of all the components inside Lebanon and be supported from the outside.

According to information, after Bassil's efforts and the contacts that will continue in the coming days and period, the FPM head will reveal the results of his efforts and whether the efforts reached a result or not.

Sources added that just as the previous meetings were covered in secrecy, the subsequent meetings will also be. The FPM wants to keep the meetings private unless the other side decides to announce.

The basis of all this effort is not to result in a president doomed to failure, as the Free Patriotic Movement will not accept to be part of the equation of "just any president."

In the presidential efforts, there is also what is on the side of Hezbollah.

Through its deputy secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, the party renewed its specifications for the president.

It is for him to be experienced in politics and able to communicate with everyone internally and externally. His priority should be economic rescue, not to take sides, not provoke anyone, and not be subject to external dictates.

As if Hezbollah wanted, through Qassem, to remind that these specifications actually apply to Frangieh. As long as Sleiman Frangieh is still a candidate for the presidential elections, Hezbollah will remain supportive of him, waiting for the moment that will allow him to be elected.