Informed sources emphasized that attention is currently focused on the progress of meetings between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, where discussions are delving into the proposal made by former Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud regarding administrative decentralization, including finances, which the Movement's leader, MP Gebran Bassil, has expressed willingness to discuss. Regardless of the title, the proposal is accepted by the Amal-Hezbollah duo, which had previously participated in 52 discussions on it within subcommittees, having reviewed around 60 articles, with the two main contentious issues being the financial allocations designated for districts, the decentralized fund, and state finances.
According to "Al-Joumhouria," Hezbollah has not yet provided Bassil with answers to the decentralization paper and is still studying it within the duo, aiming to finalize the agreement before the end of the month. The same publication learned from informed sources that Bassil is engaging positively, although he is clear in his attempt not to sever ties with the opposition. As for the paper outlining presidential priorities, the second item in the dialogue paper between Hezbollah and the Movement, sources say the situation is different because it contains general national and sovereign titles that pose no issue as long as they remain so; otherwise, discussing the details could take years.
While attention is fixed on the ongoing dialogue between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah, and whether Gebran Bassil will be persuaded to endorse Sleiman Frangieh's candidacy, the electronic newspaper "Al-Anbaa" reported that "the atmosphere is not as positive as rumored, and Hezbollah is not inclined to accept Bassil's requests, particularly concerning financial decentralization," adding that Bassil is far from supporting Frangieh.
