Safa Reportedly Defends Hariri's Stances in Talks with Bassil

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil and Hizbullah coordination official Wafiq Safa have discussed the governmental crisis in an atmosphere of “frankness and responsibility,” agreeing on the need to exit this dilemma in light of the successive crises that the Lebanese are facing, informed sources said.

“Safa expressed understanding of Bassil’s concerns and of the confidence that he placed in Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, but in return he informed him of Nasrallah’s adherence to Speaker Nabih Berri’s initiative, seeing as it is the only one that is accepted by all the parties except for the FPM,” the sources told the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal in remarks published Thursday.

Safa also told Bassil that Hizbullah “does not see a problem” in PM-designate Saad Hariri naming the two additional Christian ministers, seeing as “it is his right to do so as a PM-designate, or else what is the value of the non-binding consultations that Hariri held in parliament,” the sources added.

“It is unacceptable for the government to turn into a confessional council or for each sect to name its own ministers,” the sources quoted Safa as telling Bassil.

“Bassil accepted this point but he did not give an answer as to whether he will change his stance that rejects granting confidence” to the government, the sources added.

Moreover, Safa told Bassil that President Michel Aoun’s naming of the two Christian ministers would be “the blocking one-third itself, which is feared by Hariri.”

The Hizbullah official also asked Bassil to “give up the blocking one-third to facilitate the government’s formation, after Hariri gave up 18 ministers.”

Safa also told the FPM chief that “Hariri will not step down after Berri intervened to prevent him from doing so.”