Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil stressed Tuesday that the alliance between the FPM and Hizbullah is still “firm,” as he voiced rejection of a new extension of the parliament’s term or the adoption of the 1960 electoral law.
The alliance with Hizbullah is “among our firm principles and our alliance is the result of honesty, commitment, sacrifice, efforts and blood,” Bassil said after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc, reassuring that “there will not be a Shiite-Christian rift, neither now nor in the future.”
“We will not renounce it over syndical, parliamentary or presidential elections or over any government. It is prohibited to harm this understanding and our relation with Hizbullah is firmer than ever,” Bassil added.
As for the FPM’s rising alliance with the Lebanese Forces, which has alarmed several parties especially AMAL Movement, Bassil reassured that the Christian rapprochement is not aimed at “eliminating anyone.”
“The proof is that we are calling for an electoral law based on proportional representation,” he noted.
“We agreed with the LF on the return of Christians to the State, not on the return of the State to Christians,” he added.
As for the stalled cabinet formation process, Bassil said the discussion over the cabinet “goes beyond ministerial portfolios because we are witnessing a new political situation — although some are refusing to acknowledge this.”
“We call for the representation of everyone in the government – Kataeb (Party), Marada (Movement), Syrian Social National Party, (MP Talal) Arslan and March 8’s Sunnis – even in a 24-member cabinet,” Bassil emphasized.
He also underlined that the FPM “will not allow anyone to kill the new momentum in Lebanon.”
“We have discussed the idea of separating the issue of the government from the electoral law,” Bassil said.
“We’ll embark on this through contacting all political forces in order to reject any extension of the parliament’s term and to reject the 1960 law and to push for a law based on proportional representation,” Bassil added.
