Bassil Says Hizbullah Harmed FPM by 'Stabbing Democracy'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil expressed regret on Tuesday that Hizbullah's “anti-democratic” move in supporting the extension of parliament's mandate had harmed the Free Patriotic Movement.
In an interview published in pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, Bassil, who is an FPM official, said Hizbullah “stabbed democracy” and “harmed us with its knife along with harming democracy.”
The Hizbullah leadership along with several officials is preventing a quorum in the Constitutional Council, which is failing to meet to study petitions filed by President Michel Suleiman and the Change and Reform bloc of FPM chief Michel Aoun against the 17-month extension of parliament's term.
Three judges – two Shiites and a Druze – are boycotting the meetings of the 10-member body, a clear sign of political interference to prevent the elections from taking place this year.
The lack of quorum caused by their absence would make the extension law valid on Thursday, the date the parliament's four-year mandate expires.
Hizbullah is pushing further with its “stabbing by paralyzing a constitutional institution,” Bassil said.
He told the newspaper that the differences between Hizbullah and the FPM on the extension crisis were “not small.”
“It turned out that our ally is part of the political framework” in the country and “has fallen under the influence of bigger strategic choices,” the caretaker minister said.
Despite his criticism of Hizbullah, Bassil said that the alliance between the FPM and the Shiite party remained strong.
“We should preserve our good relations with Hizbullah as part of our responsibility in consolidating stability,” he said.
Bassil stressed that the FPM's understanding with Hizbullah is based on the defense of Lebanon within certain limits.
“The limits lie in not allowing Lebanon to get involved further” in the war in Syria “and to be truly protecting Lebanon,” he said about Hizbullah's role in Syria's crisis and the prominent role it played in the capture of the town of al-Qusayr by regime troops.
Bassil said he “understood the excuse” of Hizbullah without necessarily backing it.
“I personally prefer that the Lebanese fight it out outside Lebanon instead of in it,” he added.
18 June 2013, 10:02
69
The FPM needs some "red lines" of its own ... and it wasn't just the HA that blocked the court but Jumblat as well ...
18 June 2013, 10:07
611
Lets welcome such statements by a top ranking FPM-official instead of commenting in a hateful manner. Every step that FPM take away from Hizbollah is good for every Lebanese in the long run. Yes, we do also want sunni-extremism removed, but lets be frank and admit that those salafi/wahabe-guys only represent a small minority of Lebanese sunni-muslims. On the other hand Hezbollah has close to monopoly withing their sect, and they have shown that they are willing to kill their own to maintain that. At least if FPM moves away from Hizbollah, then Nasrallahs christian fig leaf is removed.
18 June 2013, 11:02
57
you are right, we should welcome such statements from FPM officials, but FPM officials should also correct their trajectory.
what good does is do to admit something wrong, and staying on the wrong path...
they have to understand that HA will discard them like a used pair of socks at anytime without remorse... and this is only the beginning.
18 June 2013, 11:03
610
what is funny is that fpm s not moving away from hizzbushaitan :) and this is what is extremely puzzling.
basil even said they support hizbushaitan involvement in Syria!
so all this is only for show.
fpm are the most hypocrite people that can exist: if you accuse your ally of stabbing you in the back, then cut your ties with that ally!
if your ally's involvement in Syria is blocking the GCC away from Lebanon, you cannot say you are with the GCC coming to Lebanon, while saying you support hizbushaitan actions in Syria.
honestly: this is all for the consumption of their followers who are seriously against hizbushaitan for the bad it is doing to their direct interests.
18 June 2013, 11:53
57
the only one who tries to distort anything is you. I heard your basil and he said "طعنونا بالظهر"
18 June 2013, 11:50
56
So M8 allows debate? Does this include Hizbollah? Try telling this to the parents of the Lebanese Option-member who was killed in cold blood trying to express his views.
Regarding the so called Saidi-bloc (I guess that justifies me calling M8 the Iranian-bloc): There are more debate within M14 than M8 (Hariri vs Geagea for example), the difference is that they dont resort to killing as a solution.
18 June 2013, 13:40
36
re mowaten
We were talking about "debate and disagreement between its constituents", weren`t we? And now u have changed it to constant critizism from M14, which it quite normal from the political opposition in any country. M8 critizise M14, and M14 critizise M8...nothing wrong with that.
On another note, I am glad that you have done a research on the killing of the member of Lebanese Opinion. However I am not convinced at all. How likely is it that one of the demonstrators would pull out a gun and shoot? Peaceful demos from within their own community is Hizbollahs worst fear, a violent one is easier to crush with the means that they know best..
18 June 2013, 15:49
32
"the true lebanese bloc m8 allows debate and disagreement between its constituents."
This is really Funny Mowaten.
what i know is if somebody disagree with them, the send him a gift (bomb, bullet,..etc) like what happened in front of the iranien embassy, and what happened to most of M14 heads...
18 June 2013, 10:49
66
Though we know that this is a desperate attempt by the FPM to "look" fair & independant from HA, we do welcome them. Yet, the harm for FPM has already been done and any christian with a brain bigger than that of a bird and a pocket that is not open for bribes will realize that these FPM leaders (not commenting on the followers) have been bribed to their teeth and abandoned the cause a long time ago and should never trust them again. HELL ... WE SHOULD NOT TRUST ANY OF THE LEADERS CURRENTLY IN PLACE! Lebanese have been able to lead multi-billion dollar organizations and I am certain we have a few in Lebanon who can run the country into profitability without being bought, let's vote for those next time
18 June 2013, 14:50
33
yes totally agreed. the independents in lebanon are our only chance. M8 fights for Iran and Syria. M14 fight for the Saudis and the west. Our only hope is the independents who don't take orders from anyone.
18 June 2013, 18:01
22
is it not exhausting ft to have to keep up with your leader's views of the day, and then formulate excuses for them?
18 June 2013, 20:36
12
Absolutely right mowaten
this question also goes out to the psp base or whatever they're calling themselves now
19 June 2013, 02:05
20
This to you is an explanation FT? That it doesn't matter if they're terrorists? This was said well after the war and I. Front of the US Congress. I don't know how clearer it can be. So the question again did he or didn't he flip flop. Are hizbocrap terrorists in his eyes and yours or not? Were they terrorists and they are no longer and if so what changed?
18 June 2013, 10:57
59
ahahahaah ABOUT TIME my FPM friends have not just seen, but felt the vile shia extremist taqqiya knife.
ya bassel, this is called 'TAQQIYA"
18 June 2013, 13:13
49
MOOwate go help hamza elkhateeb's killers...and the perpetrators of the Banias massacre...all in the name of "democrazy"...
18 June 2013, 15:27
45
hamza was arrested by ASSad's police and returned by them as a corpse to his parents
18 June 2013, 11:34
57
"Hizbullah is pushing further with its “stabbing by paralyzing a constitutional institution,”
i thought only M14 were paralyzing institutions...
"“It turned out that our ally is part of the political framework” in the country and “has fallen under the influence of bigger strategic choices,”
i thought only M14 were under the influence of foreign countries...
but here "Bassil said he “understood the excuse” of Hizbullah" but not the others... hypocrit as can be!
double FPM standards as usual...
18 June 2013, 12:28
54
wow--talking about a sssssssssttttttttrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeetttttttttccccccccccchhhhhhhhh
18 June 2013, 12:29
55
this shouldn't be unexected anyhow since hizb iran's sponsors are bastions of democracy
18 June 2013, 13:38
44
Salemtak enta wa your father inlaw mr bassil eza fi 7ada ta3an lebnan bi dahro howi ento ya motakhazlin ya monafkin min enalab 3ala sawret larez min enalab 3ala tayaro min tkhalla 3an siyedi hala badi olak Shi ento dejalin mettefin ma3ba3dkon kola oset tewzi3 adwar ento katayyar khserto sha3biyi wbadkon t3awdo men Shan. hayki 3aradto tamdid bas ento demniyan ma3o 100% liankon 3arfin khesranin sakatal kina3 ya Mr bassil wanizam bi sorya saket wakol man wakafa ma3aho howa saket mahma hawalto iran wabo2sal masir nater tasho ra2yak bi mawaf sayedna lbatrak kif la7 bi kon ejabi aw sal bi
18 June 2013, 13:38
44
LOL just a marketing speech to try and appear civilized and populist to people like you...
he cannot do anything without hezbis consent, all is studied, don't worry....
18 June 2013, 14:06
00
Funny that when the FPM, Hezbollah and Amal were attempting to paralyze the parliament AND the cabinet of ministers (two core constitutional institutions) in 2006, it was all fine and dandy. Cmon guys (the non-drones among you), stop beating round the bush. You know there is no redeeming the Hezb for the years of shit they've made all Lebanese endure. I don't care for supporting the opposition, but I'm sure as hell convinced that Hezbollah, very very soon, needs to let go of those weapons, or else we will be surrendering our country to their rule.
18 June 2013, 17:09
52
The mouse roars! Hezbollah must be shaking. Basil has said that Hezbollah stabbed democracy in the back. Such a joke. Hezbollah was ever for democracy?? Really, it was ever for this concept of governance when all along it has been spouting the drivel about the Vali-ye faqih, the Guardian of the jurist??
The cloud of delusion must be lifting over there in Rabiah. The tail discovers that it does not wag the dog to which it is attached. And in fact may be about to discover that the FPM is not a tail on a dog, but a flea on a dog that is about to be scratched off as Hezbollah runs off to meet its destiny with the 12th Imam in Aleppo in 2 weeks.
18 June 2013, 17:12
43
I have a strong feeling that rather than see the 12th Imam up there, Hezbollah will meet up with its Waterloo. The lift of the US Weapons embargo is being played in the West to mean that small arms and ammunition will be all that the FSA will be getting. Maybe that is true as far as what the US will DIRECTLY supply. But we have the Turks, Saudis and Qataris who have advanced and heavy weapons that they have been ready to provide, waiting on the US Green light, which finally has come. So the weapons at the disposal of the FSA in Aleppo will be of the heavy duty type provided INDIRECTLY by the US and its green light to its regional allies.
18 June 2013, 18:33
31
My bet is on Lebanon, its been around much longer, it has over come much more. Lebanon will throw off Hezbollah as it has thrown off every other occupier and Hezbollah's fate will be the same as every other entity that thought it could occupy Lebanon.
Chew on that.
19 June 2013, 00:24
22
so what lebanese? he takes his orders from iran to whom he pledge allegiance (meaning obedience!): he does not defend lebanon but iran's interests in lebanon!!
19 June 2013, 00:19
13
Also many billion years ago we were all similar hydrogen molecules floating in space after the big bang
19 June 2013, 00:22
22
so do sunnis and christians... not only shias ... in fact lebanese with coastal origins!
