Bassil says no one accepts that Hezbollah control Lebanon

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, who had recently started a dialogue with Hezbollah, has called for political balance, as he said that "no one would accept that Hezbollah control Lebanon."

In an interview published Thursday in Kuwaiti al-Jarida newspaper, Bassil stressed the need to mend ties with the Arab world. "This alone would be enough to restore political balance," he said.

According to the FPM chief, this must be done through a political agreement that would restore the role of the state and its institutions, and not through confrontation with Hezbollah, "which will lead to nowhere."

Hezbollah and the FPM's dialogue came after almost one year of tensions over Hezbollah's nomination of Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh for presidency and the participation of its ministers in cabinet sessions boycotted by the FPM.

The FPM proposed to Hezbollah the implementation of the broad administrative and financial decentralization law and the trust fund law in return for voting for Franjieh.

FPM MP Alain Aoun told Thursday LBCI that Hezbollah and the FPM are trying to reach an agreement on a presidential candidate and that Franjieh is part of the agreement.

"In the coming days, it will become clear whether it is possible to agree on the administrative decentralization and the trust fund,” Aoun said.