The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) in Lebanon acknowledged the failure of its project to build a state and fight corruption.
It made the declaration on the 15th anniversary of its signing of an understanding with Hezbollah that led to the election of FPM founder Michel Aoun as president in 2016
Differences between the FPM, which is now headed by Aoun’s son-in-law Gebran Bassil, and the Iran-backed Hezbollah are nothing new. Supporters of either camp have often expressed their criticism on social media, with even FPM MPs and officials joining in.
Such criticism mounted after the United State slapped sanctions last year on Bassil over his ties to Hezbollah and involvement in corruption.
In a statement on Saturday, the FPM political council said the understanding with Hezbollah “helped ward off strife and division in Lebanon and protect it against foreign aggression” from Israel and terrorist groups.
The understanding, however, “did not succeed in building a state and establishing the rule of law,” it continued.
“Developing the understanding in a way that brings new hope to the Lebanese people is a condition for its survival. The understanding will be void if the signatories do not succeed in the battle to build a state,” it remarked.
FPM MP George Atallah said the statement echoes remarks Bassil had made about a month ago. Similar remarks were also made by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Atallah told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The understanding yielded many results, but Hezbollah could not join us in state-building affairs and approving laws on combating corruption.”
He attributed this to the party’s alliance to its fellow Shiite Amal movement.
Fighting corruption and the building of a state are as important to the FPM as the resistance against Israel, said the MP. He revealed that Bassil and Nasrallah had twice met in the past three months to discuss pending issues and concerns.
On whether unfulfilled objectives can be met in the future, he said: “The conviction is there, but the problem lies in the application.”
The MP refused to link any revision of the understanding to the American sanctions on Bassil, while also dismissing claims that the agreement was on the verge of failure.
“We are seeking to improve, develop and even expand it to include other parties,” he revealed.
Hezbollah MP Walid Sukkarieh said the problem between the party and FPM lies elsewhere, specifically in sectarian representation and fears over Christian rights.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The situation in Lebanon may have prevented the implementation of some issues, but the two camps are fully aligned over the vision of building a state based on national unity.”
Differences between them will not lead to the failure of the understanding, he said, suggesting instead that it could be developed.
The FPM, he explained, is concerned about the fair representation of sects in public positions. The Taif Accord limits this representation to the positions of president, prime minister and parliament speaker, while the movement is seeking to apply it to all public posts given that Muslims outnumber Christians.
The FPM fears that the imbalance may later infringe on equality.
