FPM, Hizbullah, Amal Coordinate Stances to Contain Rift

A meeting was held on Thursday between several ministers from the Hizbullah-led March 8 forces as a follow-up to talks earlier in the week aimed at restoring the crippling relations between the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah and Amal.

Al-Liwaa daily said that Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who represents Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement in the cabinet, Minister Jebran Bassil, who is loyal to FPM chief Michel Aoun, and Hizbullah leader’s aide Hussein Khalil held the talks.

But according to As Safir newspaper, Minister Charbel Nahhas, also from the FPM, and Hizbullah Minister Mohammed Fneish attended the talks.

The follow-up meeting was aimed at unifying their stances on several issues after the FPM was angered by the Hizbullah ministers’ decision to approve a wage boost proposal made by Premier Najib Miqati rather than approving Nahhas’ decree during a cabinet session last week.

As Safir said that the conferees agreed to hold routine meetings on the eve of cabinet sessions to reach common grounds on several issues to avoid conflicting stances in the government.

Media reports had said that the officials are also coordinating to set the date of a meeting between the top March 8 leaders, including Berri Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, FPM chief Michel Aoun and Franjieh.