Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil at a press conference in Sin al-Fil, Sept 6, 2022. (Credit: File photo Tayyar.org)
BEIRUT — Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil Saturday responded to remarks made earlier this week by his ally Hassan Nasrallah, saying he refused to concede to pressure to participate in electing a president. Hezbollah's secretary general Thursday warned the US against creating "chaos" to destabilize Lebanon, which is already in the midst of a years-long economic, financial and political crisis.
"Nobody should threaten us with chaos or sanctions," warned Bassil, who considers himself a presidential candidate and has already been sanctioned by the United States, which accuses him of corruption. Hezbollah unofficially supports the candidacy of its other Christian ally, Marada leader, Sleiman Frangieh, an option that Gebran Bassil virulently opposes.
The FPM leader also reiterated his refusal to participate in a legislative session of Parliament as long as the presidency is vacant.
Choosing a president "with conviction
"Let no one threaten us with chaos or sanctions ... , nor with a vacancy, nor with the government and Parliament," Bassil said during Saturday's press conference. His relations with most of the county's political actors, including his ally Hezbollah, are in turmoil. "We will choose a head of state with conviction, and no one will be able to impose him on us," he insisted.
"A president elected against a background of chaos is like a president elected with the help of Israeli tanks," he asserted, alluding to Hezbollah's routine criticism of Bashir Gemayel election to the presidency in the wake of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
The Hezbollah leader, who acknowledged that "the agreement [with the FPM] is in a delicate phase," Thursday raised his voice against Washington. "If the Americans are planning to create chaos to bring about the collapse of Lebanon, I say to them: You will lose everything in Lebanon. We will use our weapons where it will hurt you, even if it will lead to a war with Israel. You should expect chaos in the whole region," he said.
He also called for an "internal agreement" for the election of a head of state and said there was "nothing new" on that front.
According to some analysts, Nasrallah's threats against Washington have raised the stakes to better prepare for the coming period and a compromise that is said to be brewing in the backrooms of international diplomacy.
"Corrupted"
The FPM leader criticized his opponents, again without naming them. "They want to make reforms, but they want to meet and elect a corrupt head of state, a corrupt head of government and an even more corrupt governor of the Bank of Lebanon. And they get angry if we tell them no!" he said.
For his part, FPM founder and ex-president Michel Aoun, said during Saturday's press conference: "I warn officials who are seeking to extend the mandate of the governor of the BDL from doing so. This action would be the end of Lebanon. It would be the final deadly blow."
After eleven parliamentary sessions since September, Lebanese MPs have failed to elect a new head of state due to the lack of political agreement. Bassil also refuses the possible candidacy of army chief General Joseph Aoun, who is said to be supported in some diplomatic and Lebanese political circles.
Hezbollah seems no longer to be opposed to the election of General Aoun if it results from a political agreement, as senior Hezbollah official Ibrahim Amin al-Sayed said in early January in Bkirki. Some analysts have said that Hezbollah would like to exhaust all possibilities of electing Frangieh before considering any other candidates.
Last week, a meeting in Paris brought together representatives from Egypt, France, the United States, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to discuss the profile of the ideal presidential candidate in Lebanon, his political line and his economic and financial roadmap. No official statement was issued after this meeting, and the protagonists say that further meetings are expected.
Parliamentary session
Regarding the parliamentary session that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri could convene, despite the vacancy in the presidency, Bassil stressed: "I have clearly stated from the beginning that we will not participate in any legislative session in the absence of a president, unless the agenda is of great urgency, the supreme interest of the state, or necessary and exceptional ... I have articulated a principled position that I am committed to. I have rejected all proposed legislation."
Berri's initiative has provoked an outcry from Christian parties, but also from a large part of the opposition and independent MPs, most of whom reject the principle of legislating before electing a head of state. The parliamentary meeting is said to be aimed at adopting, among other things, a law to extend the mandate of security leaders, some of whom — like General Security director Abbas Ibrahim, and State Security head, Tony Saliba — are being wanted for questioning in the investigation into the 2020 Beirut port explosion.
According to several sources, Bassil is allegedly demanding that some senior civilian officials close to his political camp be kept in their posts as well, and that General Aoun's term of office, which expires in January 2024, not be extended.
"For a month now, there has been talk in the media about demands, compromises and sharing the cake, so that I become like them, but this is a lie," Bassil denied. "When I was told about the extension of the mandate of the Director of General Security, I said I was against any selective extension," he explained. The FPM leader, however, said he was in favor of "a collective extension to (protect) the end-of-service allowances of all civil servants."
Last Monday, a meeting of the bureau of the Parliament in which members were to decide on the issue of convening such a session was postponed for a week for further discussion. However, L'Orient-Le Jour has learned that the 80-point agenda suggested in advance could be reduced in the next few days.
