Bassil's 'bold' stance: No acceptance for Frangieh Presidency and 'limited' ties with Hezbollah

According to the Al-Akhbar newspaper,  the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, revealed that he was told, "Your only solution is to elect the head of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, as president to enter into power. No third option."

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

As Al-Akhbar reported, Bassil emphasized that he "will not stay outside, will not stay silent about what is happening, and will not accept Frangieh."

He stated, "I was offered the return of the ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement and its allies to the cabinet sessions or at least the defense minister to obtain the appointment of a new army commander, but I refused."

"This is to prevent undermining the Free Patriotic Movement's stance since the vacancy, which is that a resigned government should not assume the president's powers, and to avoid introducing unprecedented practices in the cabinet, especially regarding the signing of decrees," he added.

In this context, Bassil clarified that "communication with Hezbollah is limited and intermittent," describing it as "not severed but not 'warm.'"

The leader of the Free Patriotic Movement added, "I will not vote for both of them, Sleiman Frangieh and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. Each has principled reasons that make me know in advance how the term of each of them could be."

He affirmed: "I reject them both, but I have several alternative names that can be agreed upon. I do not reject for the sake of rejection. I have alternatives to discuss."

"The bet that I will change my mind in the wrong place, and they will wait for a long time unless there is one case is giving us broad administrative and financial decentralization, the trust fund, and an agreement on the governance program in the new 'era.' Then I walk with both of them," he said.