President Fouad Senor revealed the reasons behind his decision to engage in the elections, despite the decision of Future Bloc leader Saad Hariri to suspend political activity. He believes that "it is not permissible to leave the field empty to be filled by newcomers and those with personal interests," considering that "these individuals serve some forces attempting to tighten their grip on the Lebanese state and its constitutional institutions through the parliament and influence the process of electing a president. They may utilize the majority they gain in parliament, along with possible support from others in the House due to intimidation and threats, to amend the constitution and legitimize Hezbollah's arms."
In an interview with "Asharq Al-Awsat," Senor deemed the boycott as futile, citing the example of the Christian boycott in 1992, where one candidate succeeded with only 47 votes. He also recalled the experience in Iraq, where a portion of the Sunni team refrained from participating in the elections, stating, "The elections were held, and even now, some are negatively impacted by those elections."
As for his decision not to run and to play the role of "maker of deputies," Senor explained it simply: "I have achieved all that any political activist in Lebanon could dream of. I was Minister of Finance in five governments formed by the late President Rafik Hariri, and after his assassination, I became Prime Minister for four and a half years. I also worked and ran for parliamentary office and led the Future Bloc for eight years." He added, "I decided not to run and wanted to set an example of a person who can work in public affairs without necessarily seeking a position or title. I feel I have placed all the stars, so I am not seeking to increase their number."
Senor does not share some of Hariri's supporters' interpretations of his decision to suspend political activity and not run for the elections as a call for boycott. He stated, "The text that President Hariri adopted in this call is limited to his non-candidacy and his desire that no one from the Future Movement run, inviting anyone wishing to run not to do so in the name of the Future Movement or to resign. However, he did not call on Muslims or Lebanese to boycott the elections, which is not correct. There are people who are either appeasing or wanting to 'cleanse their image,' and this is something I do not want to hold President Saad Hariri responsible for."
