Progress in Hezbollah-FPM talks as 30-district decentralization proposed
The ongoing dialogue between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement has made progress and the FPM has proposed an administrative decentralization plan based on dividing Lebanon into 30 administrative districts, a media report said on Saturday.
An informed parliamentary source meanwhile told ad-Diyar newspaper that Speaker Nabih Berri has informed Hezbollah’s leadership that “despite his rift with the FPM, he would support any agreement that Hezbollah might reach with the Movement, whether over broad administrative decentralization or any other topic, on the condition that the Shiite Duo keep working for securing the election of (Suleiman) Franjieh as president.”
As for FPM chief Jebran Bassil, ad-Diyar said that he stressed in his dialogue with Hezbollah that he categorically rejects the election of the army chief as president.
“He is still opposed to backing Franjieh, but not with the same fierceness of his rejection of (Army) Commander Joseph Aoun,” the daily added.
“Accordingly, Bassil has proposed to Hezbollah that negotiations be held to reach an agreement over a third presidential candidate who would not be provocative to neither the Shiite Duo nor the FPM, but the Duo does not intend to accept such a proposal,” the newspaper said.
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