Report: LF Anxious Bkirki Meeting Provides ‘Cover’ for Bassil
The Free Patriotic Movement believes that a positive outcome will result from the “Maronite summit” to be held in Bkirki on Wednesday, meanwhile the Lebanese Forces are “concerned” the meeting aims to provide a “cover for Foreign Minister and FPM chief Jebran Bassil,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Tuesday.
The daily quoted an unnamed Maronite political source, he said: “The LF has concerns the summit would provide cover for Bassil, or suggest that the conflict in the country is an inter-Christian one. We have one of two choices, first to either limit our representation or have a massive one.”
The source predicted that head of LF Samir Geagea would refrain from participating, because of “lack of balance in the level of representation.”
The Free Patriotic Movement is the “only party having positive outlook regarding the meeting,” said the daily.
The FPM is expected to make a statement “supportive” of the term of President Michel Aoun (FPM founder). “It seeks to use the meeting to its advantage in the conflict of powers revolving,” according to the daily.
Although it does not support “sectarian meetings,” the Marada Movement led by Suleiman Franjieh is going to partake in the meeting.
The Kataeb party also sees “the need to expand the meeting to a national one instead of sectarian."
The Bkirki summit expected on Wednesday does not seem to enjoy the support of all the Maronite parties and figures, it said.
That was evident in remarks made by former MP Fares Souaid.
He is trying to “amend” the meeting's point of view and urge Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to issue a statement confirming commitment to the Constitution, the Taef Accord and the decisions of the Arab League and Security Council, instead of “extracting support for Bassil and his Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc.”
The main Christian parties and MPs will meet in Bkirki on Wednesday at the invitation of Rahi.
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