Naharnet

Bassil wants Hezbollah to focus on Lebanon not region

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has criticized Hezbollah again for focusing on the region's conflicts instead of prioritizing Lebanon.

Bassil told Reuters that Hezbollah must accept "that they are part of the Lebanese state and are not parallel to the state," adding that he considers Hezbollah as a partner but wants it to defend Lebanon politically "not militarily".

Bassil said Hezbollah should distance itself from the "Axis of Resistance" and focus on domestic issues instead of focusing on the wider region.

Bassil also told Reuters that he is against the presidential candidacy of army chief Joseph. The Christian leader had met on Wednesday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri over the presidential file and said after the meeting that efforts to elect a president are serious and that "things are going well."

"We will, God willing, have a president on January 9," Bassil said.


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