Bassil turns to Maronite patriarch for support amid Lebanon stalemate

BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi hinted on Friday that some obstacles were hindering dialogue aimed at ending the political stalemate over the presidential vacuum.
Al-Rahi’s remarks came as he received Lebanese MP Gebran Bassil, son-in-law of outgoing President Michel Aoun and head of the Free Patriotic Movement party.
In light of the political dispute with Hezbollah, Bassil turned to Al-Rahi in an attempt to strengthen his position.
Bassil also rejects the holding of Cabinet sessions by a caretaker government amid the presidential vacuum.
“The decrees issued by the caretaker government constitute a harsh blow to the president’s position,” Bassil said following the meeting.
“Over 10 decrees were issued harming this position. The mechanism for signing these decrees strikes down the partnership formula.”
Bassil raised the issue of how to approach the presidential election with Al-Rahi in Bkerke hours before Aoun headed there in his non-presidential capacity.
The FPM and other Christian forces are apprehensive about any political step that contradicts their positions because they believe that this could threaten their existence, as highlighted by the FPM, as well as the Lebanese Forces Party, repeatedly.
The FPM disagreed with Hezbollah’s approaches regarding presidential candidates.
The dispute recently emerged after Hezbollah showed its support for Suleiman Franjieh, whom it considers an ally.
The FPM rejects Franjieh while it seeks to be the decision-maker in the presidential race since its bloc has the most Christian representation in parliament.
Bassil said: “I completed with Al-Rahi what we started with the issue of the presidency, to find a figure who enjoys the support of two-thirds of the votes of parliament.”
Bassil also underlined the need for Christian-Christian dialogue to reach an understanding on one or several candidates to run for the elections.
“The FPM is open to dialogue, regardless of the positions of other forces, and if others are not open, we cannot force them,” he said.
The call for Christian dialogue came the day after Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called the parliamentary blocs that represent all sects to hold talks, starting next Thursday, in a bid to bridge points of view and produce a consensual president.
So far, Hezbollah and its allies are sticking to the blank vote, and the FPM no longer wants to do so.
FPM’s votes went to several candidates in the latest voting session in an attempt to send a political message to Hezbollah.
After meeting Bassil, Al-Rahi stressed that he had been calling for dialogue since 2009.
He supported Bassil’s position that the Cabinet session should not have taken place, especially in the absence of many ministers.
“We have always been advocates of dialogue, and there is no solution except through dialogue between the parties, either through a bilateral dialogue between myself and each party, or through an inclusive dialogue, but some obstacles hinder this option.”
LF head Samir Geagea indirectly commented on Bassil’s call in a tweet, saying: “Dialogue requires people suitable for dialogue.”
Richard Kouyoumjian, LF’s head of foreign relations unit and former minister, questioned Bassil’s departure from the Hezbollah axis, despite the dispute between them.
He said: “If his attack on the party and his defense of Christianity are sincere, then he ought to let Geagea be a presidential candidate.”
Dialogue is unnecessary because our positions as LF are clear, said Kouyoumjian.
“We have preserved as much as possible our reconciliation with the FPM but they are the ones who ruined it.”
Caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makari, who is affiliated to Franjieh, said that Bassil knew that there was no consensus on him as a candidate, even by his allies.
“His chances are zero, while Franjieh has more chances than Bassil,” he said.