The memorandum of understanding (MOU) that was signed by Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) founder ,former president Michel Aoun and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in 2006 appears to be on very shaky grounds.
Ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Wednesday that Hezbollah is trying to re-evaluate the MOU to prevent its complete collapse
For this reason mediation efforts are under way to arrange a meeting within a week by a joint Hezbollah-FPM committee to “reevaluate, develop and agree to implement some of the MoU’s articles,” Ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Wednesday
Ad-Diyar also reported that Hezbollah has asked its MPs and officials not to respond to the fiery stances voiced Tuesday by FPM chief Jebran Bassil and other FPM officials , to prevent an aggravation of the political dispute . Hezbollah also called on its supporters to avoid responding to any FPM attacks on social media.
This development comes after a cabinet meeting was held by caretaker PM Najib Mikati despite being boycotted by FPM
FPM claims that Hezbollah reneged on its promise when its ministers attended the meeting
On Tuesday Bassil blasted Hezbollah, Mikati and other parties over the caretaker cabinet session that was held on Monday.
“If someone thinks that they can press us over the presidential issue, we tell them that this matter won’t work because it leads to further stubbornness,” Bassil added at a press conference.
“Mikati is weaker than being able to call for a cabinet session without his ‘handlers’ and he doesn’t dare to do so. Our problem is not with him, but rather with the honest parties who didn’t honor the agreement, the promise and the guarantee,” Bassil went on to say, referring to an agreement in parliament that no cabinet sessions would be held amid the presidential vacuum unless it is extremely necessary.
“Our free existence is more precious than any understanding,” he stressed, in a jab at the FPM’s memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah.
He added that what happened “proves that Mikati was told not to form a cabinet.”
“This is what we told everyone when we rejected his designation,” Bassil said.
“We will not accept what happened and the issue shall not pass. What happened is a deliberate robbery against the presidential post,” the FPM chief added.
Moreover, he described Monday’s session as “a death penalty against the constitution, a lethal blow to the Taif Accord and a stab against a national agreement that was declared in parliament.”
“Yesterday’s session was unconstitutional, illegitimate and non-conforming to the National Pact,” Bassil added.
On Wednesday MP Ghassan Atallah an FPM official also claimed that Hezbollah had promised the Free Patriotic Movement that it would not take part in Monday’s cabinet session but it did not honor its pledge,
“What happened violated the constitution,” Atallah stressed an interview with to al-Jadeed TV.
“If Hezbollah believes that such type of sessions might press the FPM to endorse presidential candidates, this would be saddening, and the FPM’s rules do not change under pressure,” he added.
“This period resembles the 1990 coup and today there was an attempt to do this but it failed,” Atallah went on to say, charging that Mikati is “implementing what the Shiite Duo has tasked him with.” Hezbollah and the Amal Movement are referred to as the Shiite duo.
The MOU landed Aoun the presidency in 2016 and provided a Christian cover to Hezbollah’s regional and domestic activities. The MOU was the kiss of death to Lebanon’s sovereignty , independence and economy .
Aoun ended up being the worst president Lebanon has ever had
Bassil was hoping that Hezbollah will also help him in replacing Aoun , his father-in-law after his term expired end October but Hezbollah has other plans and according to media reports its unannounced candidate is Suleiman Franjieh who is also supported by Hezbollah’s ally Syria’s dictator Bashar al Assad .
Bassil has been very outspoken in opposing Franjieh’s nomination for the presidency
According to analysts the honeymoon between Hezbollah and FPM is over .They are both going in completely opposite directions
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