The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Basil, during a reception of a delegation from the Journalists' Syndicate headed by Syndicate President Joseph Al-Qusayfi, noted that the document being prepared in Bkerke is important, but it will not be sufficient unless accompanied by a working plan or a “plan to counter” the clear, systematic, and programmed process of exclusion perpetrated by those who want to put us before two options: either we accept the election of the president they want, or the country remains without a president while they govern without us. He added, “I call for a plan to counter this and I will not accept any infringement on rights,” emphasizing that they “do not link this matter to the relationship with Hezbollah, although that relationship is no longer as it was.” He stated that when Israel attacks us, we will stand with Hezbollah, and when we are attacked internally, we will confront it.
Basil continued, stating that they are facing existential threats, not only due to the war in the south. He questioned, “Doesn’t the displacement and deep economic crisis constitute an existential threat?” He argued that “the impact of the war on the survival of the Lebanese in the country is comparable to the economic crisis,” stressing that “the biggest existential crisis today is the issue of partnership and living together, and for people to remain in the country, stability for them must be secured and their livelihoods must be safeguarded. Thus, we must always think about securing a dignified life for the people.”
Basil confirmed that “understanding was based on constants, and when they changed, it was shaken.” He pointed out that “several problems faced this understanding, the first being the failure to commit to building the state, then the covering up of the violation of partnership, and finally, the core issue that arose is transcending the limits of defending Lebanon,” and engaging in a conflict in which we do not have the decision-making authority. He emphasized that they “are not the owners of bets but rather of choices, and whether Hezbollah wins or loses, we will continue to live together, but this does not mean we should be subordinate, rather we should be equal.”
Basil stressed that “the traditional game in place cannot succeed in creating a comprehensive solution whether we are in opposition or in power, with the awareness that power cannot be formed without the Christian component,” pointing out that the movement “called for thinking about developing the political system based on consolidating the Taif Agreement.”
