Al-Akhbar: A close meeting between Gebran Bassil and Wafiq Safa

The outcome of the relationship between “Hezbollah” and the “Free Patriotic Movement” is considered a natural result of a dispute in many aspects, of which the presidential elections constitute the tip of the iceberg. But will the understanding collapse completely, with what it means in terms of a change in the internal equation and repercussions on both sides? This question is evoked in Beirut by political circles in light of clear facts confirming that all attempts to “brake” the collapse have succeeded, so far, because the two leaderships wanted that, in search of formal justifications for the separation. It has become decided that the understanding needs something different in order for it to return to being rosy. And after each party got its “equity” from the other, matters have reached a point where it is useless to “totify” the differences, especially since they are not formal. However, “preserving friendship” is a decision that the party intends to make, which will resume its communication with the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Representative Gebran Bassil, through the official of the coordination and liaison unit in the party, Wafiq Safa, according to informed sources who pointed out that “a meeting will be held in the coming days as a matter of affirming the policy of The outstretched hand always and the continuation of friendship, regardless of the differences.

In light of this, consultations continued within the movement’s political body, which met yesterday at Basil’s house in Al-Bayada, to determine the direction of voting during the election session called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri last Thursday. The session, which lasted for five hours, was preceded by information about the existence of pressure from some of the current deputies to push in the direction of not voting on the white paper, with “a number of Aounists insisting on adopting a name from within the bloc.” This atmosphere was reflected in an intellectual storm within the session, where the Orangemen were divided into two opinions: the first supports the movement’s candidacy for its president, Basil, and another stresses that no name with chances and fortunes from within the movement will be excluded.” Thursday, due to the current’s absence of readiness to support any name.”

Parliamentary sources said, “The long session did not reach a decisive opinion regarding the nomination. Rather, it was an opportunity to review everything that is said and put forward in the presidential market these days,” while agreeing that “this path needs to be discussed with other blocs.” The sources indicated that “Basil does not have any name that he recommends,” but he pointed out “the need to be careful to choose a name that would be acceptable to Hezbollah, and a number of deputies agreed with him on this matter,” while not excluding the hypothesis of nominating a name from within the movement that has chances of winning. .

In this context, informed sources described the movement’s decision not to nominate any candidate within the framework of exchanging positive messages with the party, in order to contain tension, and this may be in response to the party’s failure to give cover to the caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, to hold a government session. Mikati had not received an answer from the Hezbollah and Amal movement duo regarding the session or regarding the agenda that was discussed during Mikati’s meeting with the “Khalilin” the day before yesterday, with the possibility that it would include one item related to electricity.