Basil Lowers His Conditions as Aoun's Term Comes to an End

After Speaker of the House Nabih Berri jokingly told ministers during the first presidential election session, "We want to get rid of you," "government mediator" Major General Abbas Ibrahim took action, as the head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," Gibran Basil, lowered his well-known demands. According to reports, Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati agreed to refer Basil's demands to the Cabinet after its formation, so he would not bear the weight of them alone, especially since some of these demands are difficult to agree on. It appears that as the end of the presidential term approaches, Basil is reducing his conditions in the hope of having a role in selecting the next president, given Hezbollah's promises, especially since the lifespan of this government may not be long. Major General Ibrahim continues his efforts to bring Basil down from the tree, ensuring the formation of a government before the presidential vacancy by persuading him of the need to facilitate the formation and to leave commitments and conditions until after the issuance of the government formation decree, while the designate president Mikati is cautious that this endeavor might lead to a delay in the problem rather than a solution, potentially turning into a key in Basil's hands to achieve his conditions later, based on the latest statements from President Michel Aoun, who said: "Things have not matured, and some are maneuvering."