The Middle East newspaper revealed the movement of the Free Patriotic Movement toward Bkirki following the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Raï's proposal to "internationalize the Lebanese issue."
The paper quoted a parliamentary source from the movement confirming that the delegation's visit to Patriarch Raï was not scheduled in advance but came in light of Raï's new position. The source stated in a comment to "the Middle East" that the purpose of the visit was to gain insight into Raï's perspective on the government formation issue, his remarks about a special international conference for Lebanon under the auspices of the United Nations, and to inform him of "the movement's" stance on both subjects. He added that "if there is a convergence of opinions, a further meeting with Raï is likely, this time attended by the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil."
The delegation that was received by Raï included the advisor to the head of the movement, Antoine Constantine, MP George Atallah, former Minister Mansour Bteich, and the deputy head of the movement, Mai Khreish.
Bteich stated after the meeting with Raï that they discussed the necessity of forming a credible rescue government, in accordance with the provisions of the French initiative, emphasizing that "there has been a focus on forensic auditing and its completion across the various state institutions," noting that "solutions must come from within, and coexistence requires cooperation to reach these solutions."
Bteich pointed out that "President Michel Aoun is keen on forming the government as quickly as possible according to national standards, and that the designated Prime Minister Saad Hariri should go to Baabda and consult with Aoun."
Raï had said the day before yesterday that "Lebanon's collapsed situation requires that its issue be raised at a special international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, which would entrench Lebanon within its modern constitutional frameworks based on the unity of the entity and the system of neutrality, addressing the lack of clear constitutional authority to resolve disputes and close constitutional and procedural gaps, ensuring the stability of the system and avoiding the paralysis of the government for several months during each election of the President of the Republic and the formation of a government."
In this context, the source confirmed that "the Free Patriotic Movement" does not currently see a need for the internationalization of the crisis, stating that matters could be resolved, and the government could be formed if the designated Prime Minister concedes slightly." He added that "Hariri operates with specific criteria regarding all parties, and when it comes to Christian ministers, he applies different criteria."
The source emphasized that "according to the constitution and the rules that have been in place for years, the designated Prime Minister should continue his meetings with the President of the Republic, but it seems that Hariri sees this as a diminishment of his prestige, at a time when he should engage with the President, who does not usually summon the designated Prime Minister."
