Berri’s dialogue initiative dies, as he awaits the French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that the positive atmosphere that prevailed last week regarding Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s invitation to a seven-day dialogue in preparation for open presidential election sessions dissipated quickly. During the past few hours, a negative atmosphere prevailed, coinciding with the return of debate and tension in the relationship between the Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement.

The pro-Hezbollah daily added: “The Amal Movement seemed disturbed by what it called “the escalation initiated by FPM’s leader, MP Gebran Bassil.” Amal circles said that after Basil gave the impression of responding to the invitation, his speech during the dinner for the Batroun Judicial Authority did not match this impression, which Ain al-Tineh was initially satisfied with. The same circles described Bassil’s statements as a “blocking wall” in the face of the initiative, which prompted a response from Berri’s political aide, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, who considered that “Bassil turned against the initiative after he felt the great response to it,” accusing him of “wanting to disrupt the dialogue.” So instead of welcoming the initiative, he moved to the tone of conditions and priorities and burdened the task with absurd discussion.”

Al Akhbar continued: “FPM officials were surprised by Amal’s reading of Bassil’s speech, and said that the position on dialogue was always positive by the movement, but the movement, like other Lebanese, needs guarantees that the dialogue will lead to a practical result, and that what is important is to search for a mechanism for dialogue that produces an understanding on Holding elections without pressure. “

Al Akhbar concluded: “This situation reinforces the negative stand of some of the opposition forces and specifically the Lebanese Forces and Phalange parties, in addition to the division of the Change and Reform MPs on the dialogue issue, which prompted Berri to “freeze his call until the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives in Beirut early next week.”

Translated from an article by El Nashar in Arabic