The elected MP, General Ashraf Rifi, announced that there is thinking about forming a sovereign front that includes three main components: the Sunni community through uniting their ranks, the Lebanese Forces as a Christian component, and the Progressive Socialist Party as a Druze component. In this context, he explained that the revolutionaries, if allied with the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, and all sovereign forces, would act from a national perspective. Rifi, in an interview with journalist Walid Aboud on Lebanese television, emphasized the necessity of establishing an Arab project against the Persian project, stating that President Hariri has been given 17 years and has failed, making it unacceptable to give him another chance as he is responsible for the Sunni fragmentation. He stressed that Saudi Arabia is politically and economically supporting Lebanon to build the state, and that it cannot be compared with Iran, which has built a "state of drug dealers."
Rifi considered President Aoun's call for forensic auditing to be merely rhetorical and pointed out that he wants to open corruption files to undermine his opponents. He recounted having met Aoun once, advising him to start with "your in-law" and present the files to him, adding that the "Free Patriotic Movement" is a major corrupt entity and "Hezbollah" is the biggest corrupt one. He confirmed that the "Lebanese Forces" are an organized faction that has stood firm against "Hezbollah," observing that the biggest danger currently is the hegemony of "Hezbollah's state," accusing it of killing the martyrs of Cedar.
Emphasizing that ISIS and Hezbollah are two sides of the same coin, he expressed that Tripoli is an open city for all Lebanese people, showcasing its true image in the revolution. Rifi addressed Faisal Karamé, saying, "You are a friend and it's unacceptable for you to have a relationship with the terrorist Hezbollah accused of the Taqwa and Peace explosion."
Rifi announced that he and the "Lebanese Forces" will be a united front, adding, "We have started changing the reality through these elections. President Berri will not get half, and we will submit a blank paper. We will not legitimize the authority that has led us to our current situation." On the other hand, he considered President Berri a Lebanese component and mentioned that he acted as an intermediary between him and Saudi Arabia to clarify that he is an Arab Shiite Lebanese and not one of the Persian Shiites.
Rifi noted that he was the first minister in the republic to resign on his own accord and that he refused to be a false witness for "Hezbollah." Regarding the suggestion of his name for prime minister, he stated that he has not spoken to anyone or been informed about it.
On the upcoming government, he remarked that in Iraq, the political process is still obstructed because the Iranian group either controls the entire game or demands national unity. He stated that accepting a national unity government is a crime and asserted that he wants a homogeneous government since a unity government is a government of explosives.
Regarding President Michel Aoun, and the phrase "they didn't let us," Rifi asked: "What more do you want than the presidency? Do you want us to make you a god?" He added, "If God loved Michel Aoun, he wouldn't have been made president." He continued: "The weakest and worst term in history is Michel Aoun's term. History will record that during his presidency the port explosion occurred, and investigations halted." In this context, he expressed a belief that Israel carried out the explosion.
He believed that corruption has reached unprecedented levels in Lebanese history during Michel Aoun's presidency, noting that there has been no suspicion of corruption against any minister chosen by the Lebanese Forces, and that their selections are always impeccable with remarkable performance. Rifi stated: "I am in favor of naming Samir Geagea for the presidency, but does the phase allow for that?" He considered that the next president might be a transitional figure, such as Army Commander Joseph Aoun or someone with his specifications, regarding him as a strong figure with intelligence, and he is his choice.
He acknowledged that the environment supporting "Hezbollah" is disintegrating, affirming that its power is a product of their weakness, and he has confirmed that he will politically fight the Iranian project at the Cabinet table and will not provide official cover for weapons.
