Summary
Bassil is foreign minister and head of the Free Patriotic Movement -- founded by Aoun and the largest Christian party in the country.
Today, it is vital that Aoun be convinced that Bassil can longer be a minister.
In order to convince Aoun of the need for Bassil to step down as a minister, it will also be necessary to impress upon Speaker Nabih Berri the need for Khalil to also give up his position.
The bigger issue today is the necessity for Aoun -- and Berri to a certain extent -- to assure Hezbollah and its leader, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, that any Cabinet shakeup is not directly targeting the Iran-backed group.
The only person who can realistically persuade Nasrallah that forming a new Cabinet does not aim to weaken Hezbollah is Aoun, given the 13-year alliance between the two men.
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