“Gebran Bassil: Lebanon’s role in Syria’s return to Arab League and reconstruction efforts”

The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Representative Gebran Bassil, considered that “Syria’s return to the League of Arab States is a victory for it, just as it is a victory in which Lebanon contributed politically.” He stressed that “Lebanon must be an essential part of the reconstruction of Syria,” denying that he had visited Syria in the past few days.

Bassil pointed out in a televised statement, that “the main point of contention in the country is that we cannot continue in the country after 2019 as before it, nor after the agreements in the region as after it.” He pointed out, “There is a major change being undertaken by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, and it is a revolution, and it is an ambitious vision for an ambitious nation, and the vision needs to extinguish the fires in the region as well, and the fires also in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. There is no stability in Iraq without Syria, and there is no stability in Syria without it.” without Lebanon.

Regarding the presidential file, Bassil indicated that “Hezbollah did not tell us, ‘Accept the offer, otherwise it will not be offered to you again later.’ We do not talk to each other in this manner, and the basis for us is our position.” And he stressed that “there is no internal will to meet the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, at home, and there is a rejection by the Christian forces of his arrival. And he stressed that “a team alone cannot produce a president, and even if two agree, they need a third for a quorum, and even if two parties secure a quorum, a confrontational president cannot rule.”

Basil stressed that “the solution to the presidency is a program and general directions, and the name should come from the program to find greater chances of success, and the President of the Republic represents the Christians in power and must have the support of Christians and the approval of all Lebanese parties.” It offers guarantees to the other team, and failure to adhere to any of these guarantees obstructs the path, while the opposite team also requests guarantees, and this is not sufficient, and the two parties ask us what guarantees do you want, while we answer that the guarantees are not related to the shares.

He stated that “the Kingdom’s position in the absence of a Saudi veto on any name is not a positive position in relation to the opposition candidate, that is, in the manner of” intrude, do what you want.” There is a new Saudi Arabia today, and this Saudi Arabia is investing if it sees that there is a country in which its rulers are ready to return their money It has a beginning, and then the investment atmosphere in it is valid, from its judiciary to its laws, in order to make a successful investment, as Saudi Arabia has learned from its experiences.

In response to a question about whether the movement would secure a quorum to elect Franjieh as president, he said, “No, we will not cover breaking the will and marginalization, and we will not be part of the extension of the crisis in Lebanon, and this position is not absurd and it is not personal. On a personal level, we want a good relationship with Franjieh.” He added: “I did not put forward a name for the presidency of the republic, and in front of all the mediators I used to say a firm no to those who rejected it, and I used to say “why not” to the candidates who could be agreed upon, and I am keen not to burn names, and I disagreed with Hezbollah because I was unable to convince them By agreeing on a group of names accepted by the other party, the same is the case with the forces, and despite a large intersection over names with the independents, the changeists and the socialist, we could not agree on a name because there is no centralization of decision among the independents and the changeists, and there is no decisiveness with the socialist.

And he stressed that “he did not ask for a date to meet the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and I have no complex in requesting a date from whoever, if he will make a change, because this is all in the formalities, and the way we have become accustomed to dealing with each other over the years can contribute to creating Lots of solutions. He continued, “I will not be a vain opposition, and we will not work with others.”

He pointed out, “We have a great opportunity to restore health in Syria, and the return of the displaced needs reconstruction, and we must contribute to that.”