Hezbollah-FPM dialogue: Dropping preconditions

After months of extreme coldness in the relations between the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Hezbollah due to constitutional disputes in the caretaker government sessions and later on the presidential file, the two parties have resumed managing their relationship through direct dialogue. 

This article was originally published in, translated from the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

The FPM leader, MP Gebran Bassil, announced Tuesday that "we have resumed dialogue with Hezbollah with a mindset of finding a solution without imposing preconditions. This dialogue, which has started on a good and positive note, we hope it intensifies to achieve results that benefit all Lebanese, rather than one party at the expense of another."

However, some sources stated that the resumption of dialogue regarding the presidential file is based on the absence of preconditions. Bassil had already dropped his condition of withdrawing the nomination of the Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah acts on the basis that it is tasked with convincing the head of the Free Patriotic Movement to support Frangieh or to convince Bassil's party to support another candidate.

On the other hand, the Free Patriotic Movement has not changed its position regarding this nomination.

However, the deepening deadlock in the presidential crisis has led both sides to realize the necessity of engaging in dialogue rather than relying on variables that may not necessarily occur in the near future.

Moreover, some sources mentioned that a delegation from Hezbollah visited Bassil and that the "initial session was good, and they agreed not to leak any information."

They emphasized that "the relationship did not witness a complete rupture, but the communication has been very cold."

It was added that the main topics discussed are addressing the general negative atmosphere, regulating the excesses on social media platforms, and re-establishing communication.

 

Joint position over appointing a BDL Governor accelerated dialogue's resumption

The change in approach by both sides began after the June 14 session to elect the President of the Republic.

Bassil was keen to explain his position, which was understood as a precondition for any dialogue while emphasizing that his stance on Frangieh's nomination is final. 

Additionally, the proposal by French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian for dialogue showed a convergence between Bassil and Hezbollah in welcoming the dialogue more than the other parties.

With both sides intervening in more than one issue to promote calm, the recent emergence of the joint position of both sides on the appointment of a new governor for Banque du Liban and the military council appointments has become a significant positive intersection upon which to rebuild some of what was severed.

Both sides are keen to solidify the understanding regarding limiting the dispute to the presidential election, if necessary.

Furthermore, Bassil said after a meeting of the Strong Lebanon bloc that "dialogue among the Lebanese is beneficial" and "on this basis, we have presented the priorities for the presidency and discussed them with everyone, stating that the program is more important than the person."

He then added, "Dialogue is acceptable or desired if it leads to solutions, but it is rejected if it is used to pass the time and wait for conditions that would enable a team to impose its candidate."