The gatherings of Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi hear harsh words directed at the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gibran Bassil. Bassil tops the patriarch’s list of names that are rejected for a position in Baabda. In analyzing the map of the parliamentary council, it appears certain that Bassil's chances of reaching the presidency are nonexistent. So, who is Bassil's presidential candidate?
Bassil does not have a candidate, nor does he have any name in mind as of now. His actual candidate is the vacuum, which will certainly occur. He will neither concede to Sleiman Frangieh, and his recent remarks to the newspaper "Al-Akhbar" are merely a tactical step that will not translate into action, nor will he support a candidate from his bloc, nor will he sit down with anyone to discuss a middle-ground name. Additionally, he will prevent the formation of a government in which he does not possess a third, meaning that government formation is completely unlikely.
Bassil believes that he has the greatest right to choose the next president, and that he is an essential passage that cannot be bypassed, relying on Hezbollah's support for this. He is prepared for any scenario, even chaos, to achieve this goal. The head of the "Movement" understands that remaining outside Baabda, both in body and influence, will cost him many gains. After October 31, he will find himself without the accompaniment of the Republican Guard during his movements and without official security coverage, except for the Internal Security Forces, amid the deterioration of his relations with other security and military agencies.
Informed sources aware of Bassil's vision for the upcoming phase do not rule out that he may be prepared for a possible security chaos that could arise with the vacuum, along with the resulting deterioration in financial, economic, and social conditions. It should be noted that the Christian street could be dragged into a confrontation that the Lebanese Forces assert they are not involved in, stating, "Any security disruption, if it occurs, will be addressed by the Lebanese Army."
It is undoubtedly clear that prolonging the vacuum will lead to further disintegration of state administrations, especially since the vacuum could also reach some administrative and security positions, leading to a total chaos that will only end with a new Taif Agreement, similar to what was established between 1988 and 1990. This will cost the Christians more than anyone, just as they paid the price after the wars led by General Michel Aoun, which resulted in the Taif Agreement that he now complains about, as it reduced the president's powers and made him incapable of resolving even the waste disposal issue!
Is this what Bassil wants? The answer may be positive or negative, but it is certain that the game of vacuum he is playing will plunge the country into the unknown. There is no doubt that chaos today, amid the collapse we are experiencing, poses a significant danger, and may even be the final blow to Lebanon as we know it, which today seems unsustainable except in some federal form, given the impossibility of coexisting among different cultures and conflicting visions.
May God help this country, awaken the conscience of its leaders, and grant awareness to some of the people who follow these individuals like sheep. They march, like sheep, toward collective slaughter...
