The head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Jaafar, held a press conference in Maarab after a meeting of the Strong Republic bloc, attended by several MPs and former MPs, including Streida Jaafar, George Adwan, Ghassan Hasbani, Pierre Bou Assi, Antoine Habchi, George Akis, Shoukri Dakash, Ziad Hawat, Fadi Karam, Ghayath Yazbek, Razi Al-Haj, Ghada Ayoub, Saeed Asmar, Jihad Bqaradouni, and several others.
Jaafar opened his speech by addressing the second anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, sending his regards to the families of the martyrs, victims, and the thousands of affected people, recalling some touching cases. He affirmed that "the explosion itself was a major crime, but without doubt, the bigger crime lies in obstructing the investigation and hiding the perpetrator until now despite the tangible facts and investigations that are nearly complete, yet part of the authority does not want to reveal the perpetrator."
He added, "From the very first moment of the explosion, we called for an international fact-finding mission because we knew the reality of the situation, and we continue to demand this until justice is served. I recall that we have not left any friendly country without reaching out regarding this matter, especially the member states, and this was discussed with the office of the UN Secretary-General through his representative in Lebanon, as well as with representatives of friendly states and international references and ambassadors. However, in their view, the Lebanese judiciary should take its course because we are in a country with an existing government and working judiciary, hence leaving room for local investigations. Unfortunately, the matter has ended with 'nothing is known about anything.'”
Jaafar reiterated the call for the establishment of an "international fact-finding committee" through a memorandum prepared by the MPs of the Strong Republic bloc, which will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, hoping to achieve the desired goal and uncover the truth.
He continued, "It seems that the countries that initially opposed this matter have become less opposed and we were promised that we would witness progress by the end of September and the beginning of October. However, if this does not materialize, we will await another occasion to raise it again, as we will not surrender, and all the martyrs of the port are always in our minds, especially the martyrs of the Beirut Fire Brigade, including martyr Ralph Malahi, whom I had previously met. Let us be strong and granted grace to uncover the truth behind this crime."
Jaafar emphasized that "the presidential elections are not an isolated event in time and place but are related to the situation in the country, and every circumstance has its ruling." He pointed out that "we are living through a very serious crisis classified at its beginnings as the third largest crisis facing a society in the last century. For a year and a half, it has become the second largest crisis. Today, I believe it is the largest crisis. So, imagine its magnitude." He continued, "We must identify the root of the problem, as we do not want to fill the presidential seat merely by electing a new president 'who will do anything,' but we need a president who addresses the root cause to extricate us from the crisis. This responsibility is a trust from those who elected us, so our goal is to strive and fight to extract the Lebanese people from the flames of this crisis, rather than just limiting ourselves to statements in the parliamentary council as if our role is confined to that."
He lamented that "a large number of politicians and media professionals are distancing themselves from the root cause, limiting their responsibility to secondary matters and general descriptions, content with talk of corruption without naming the corrupt and the main causes of our current circumstances." He added, "As with every crisis, multiple factors come together for its birth, but there remain fundamental factors leading to it. In Lebanon, the reason goes back to two fundamental factors: the first is the monopolization of strategic, security, military, and foreign political decisions in the Lebanese state, forcing it to become 'less than needed' and losing credibility, placing Lebanon at a sharp axis against sharper axes. The second factor is poor governance and corruption."
He noted that "behind these two factors lies one player and no more. This statement is based on clear practical data, not just coincidence or political enmity; 'Hezbollah' is behind the first factor, not the Kataeb party or the St. Mansour Association, and this is something that cannot be disputed. As for the second factor, it too is caused by 'Hezbollah,' as it directly participates in it through smuggling at all crossings and facilities, and particularly with the Captagon. Moreover, the most important factor is the violation of all laws, the constitution, and regulations based on its unlawful, illegal, and unconstitutional status."
Jaafar considered that "'Hezbollah' needed cover from a team to pursue its tasks, and since it did not receive a response from any free or non-corrupt team, it allied with the most corrupt of the corrupt in the country and helped it obtain additional parliamentary seats in exchange for the required cover, not from a belief in Gebran Bassil or the Free Patriotic Movement, but because Bassil is not the only corrupt person in the state; the one who brought him to power is also responsible for that," reminding that the "party" disrupted government formation for months in service to Bassil and his interests and shares in ministries.
Jaafar criticized Hezbollah's assignment of MP Hassan Fadlallah to submit reports on corruption cases, commenting, "If you want to laugh at your people, laugh, but you cannot laugh at everyone. What reports are they talking about? The biggest corruption is rampant with them, and they can stop it by not assisting their corrupt allies, which would significantly limit corruption. While there may be other corrupt parties, their level of corruption is much lower."
He remarked, "Lebanon has never witnessed corruption of this magnitude; due to Hezbollah's practices and its allies, corruption has become the philosophy of the state's existence and its actual practice, leading to others becoming emboldened to participate in these transgressions." Jaafar expressed the "importance of electing a new president who can confront and address this crisis, rather than staying in a loop of poetry, literature, and theories, as the cause of the crisis lies in the actions of 'Hezbollah' and its allies, whether at the strategic level or regarding corruption."
He confirmed that "this obligation will either form the first cornerstone toward the required rescue process or 'peace on earth' for the next six years, and this 'hell' we are living in will continue, if not worsen, especially with the depletion of savings." He said, "Look at the current president and how he paralyzes and delays matters, worsening them, whereas a good president has the ability to facilitate the required rescue process. The president has a limited but pivotal role; therefore, all efforts must be made to ensure that the presidential obligation is the beginning of the rescue process, or else we will face a very difficult situation."
He added: "We face three possibilities: the first is optimistic but normal, wherein we should see the opposition, in all its spectra, which consists of 67 votes, agree on a single candidate who possesses the acceptable level of sovereignty and the maximum reform capacity; this is what we strive for to put Lebanon on the track of actual rescue. The second possibility is the election of a president from the March 8 team or the axis of resistance, God forbid, meaning a president from the axis of Hezbollah and the Assad regime and Iran, either directly or through a person supported by them who would carry out their demands. If this happens, it would mean 'peace on earth' in every sense of the word."
He elaborated: "We say this, not because we are from two opposing axes, but for scientific, practical, and objective reasons, the most important of which are: first, facing an Arab and international isolation harsher than we are currently witnessing; the reason being that this axis is sharp, but at the same time, it faces sharper axes, including an axis that includes all of Lebanon's friends from Gulf countries, Europe, and the United States who assist it, and then assistance, loans, and investments will cease, and we will face a problem with the 'International Monetary Fund,' whose most significant member countries represent these nations. Secondly, the axis of resistance was not originally formed for development, reconstruction, the rescue plan, economy, education, and extricating the country from its crisis, but for war and fighting; its actual project begins with exporting the revolution, of which it has only succeeded, while the rest is 'starvation and chaos.'"
Jaafar commented on Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's call to emulate Iran's experience and capabilities, saying: "I ask myself, is electricity cut off for Mr. Nasrallah, preventing him from watching television, or does he not read the newspapers? Daily, we see hundreds of protests being suppressed in Iran due to the hunger Iranians are experiencing. Look also at the reconstruction and development in Syria, for instance, this axis is largely present there in its glorious form, not to mention Lebanon in the last five years when 'Hezbollah' managed to seize control over the situation in the country."
He asserted that "If it were possible for a president from the March 8 team to save the country, we would not mind his election, but a similar president would put us under 'the seventh earth and hell.' Because 'silence about evil is the silence of the devil,' we will oppose with all our might and 'forces' the election of any president from this team, because we are republicans, and everything we do is within the regulations applicable in Lebanon."
He stressed the necessity to "not betray ourselves and the people who granted us their trust in the parliamentary elections once it has become clear that the election of any president from 'March 8' means total destruction for Lebanon, which we will not allow." He added, "We move to the third possibility, which is a 'humble' possibility that arises when crises intensify; when the number of benefactors increases, so too do the number of local 'Abo Melhem's as in some Western diplomatic circles, calling for consensus among the Lebanese to bring a centrist president who embodies national unity and their rallying around the new president. After all these years and amidst this crisis, are we to wait for this advice as if it has slipped our mind?"
He asked, "How can all Lebanese rally around a single president in the presence of two conflicting projects that only meet 'in eternity'? Is this dispute the cause of a 'crop game' to adopt 'beard-kissing' with 'Abo Melhem'? Although the late Adib Haddad was a great artist and we spent decades watching his programs, we must consider this example."
Jaafar pointed out that "sometimes very simple concepts are absent from the minds of even the most prominent individuals in decision-making positions; today's disagreement does not affect two teams but is a crisis on one side and a people on the other. Hence, how can we equate between them?" He considered that "the term 'centrist' is very beautiful, but a centrist president can be, for instance, one who is in the middle among opposition leaders who share common ground, not between two contradictory parallel lines that do not meet. Therefore, the call to seek a consensual president between the opposition team and us is incomprehensible; what does this consensual president believe in? What is his program? Can we combine sovereignty with a lack of sovereignty, or reforms with corruption? Will he stop smuggling, especially since 'Hezbollah' is primarily responsible for it? The result is clear: there is no sovereignty and corruption continues, as there is no such thing as half reform or half corruption."
Jaafar emphasized the need to "distinguish between the interest of 'Hezbollah' and the interest of the honorable Shiite community, with which we share common interests and problems, and which will be a top priority for us." He pointed out that "'Hezbollah' always hides behind the Shiite community; its strategic interests diverge from the national interests of Lebanon."
He continued, "It is time to present matters as they are; we cannot continue procrastinating and using empty slogans like 'national unity.' Isn't the logic of 'national unity' and partnership what prevailed during the past ten years in forming governments? Based on this experience, any talk about a centrist president and 'national unity' is nothing but extending the current crisis."
Jaafar believes that "facing this grim reality, our neglect of the crisis will not prevent it but exacerbate it even more, evidenced by what has befallen the country, reiterating that a consensual or centrist president means extending the crisis, which is not an option for us, for the only president who can save the country is one with an acceptable level of sovereignty and maximum reforms."
He appealed to all opposition parties, starting from the Strong Republic bloc to the Lebanese Forces Party, through the Progressive Socialist Party, the Lebanese Phalanges, the National Liberal Party, reaching out to independents and change MPs of various intellectual backgrounds, stating, "The ball is in our court; the resistance axis is the source of the problem and the crisis, hence it is pointless and a shame to waste time discussing the 'resistance axis' and its 61 votes. However, it is also a shame not to take advantage of the 67 opposition votes in the parliament. We were elected to bring about change in the lives of the Lebanese, not to deliver speeches, put on displays, or settle for 'we said and warned'; this is not enough."
He added, "We are at a crucial crossroads, the presidential elections. Therefore, we must intensify communications, discussions, and dialogues to rapidly form a 'Coordination Committee' comprising representatives from all parties to work behind the scenes to agree on the qualifications needed for the new president to succeed in saving the country. Anyone who does not show responsiveness in this context is betraying the cause and their constituents."
He emphasized that "we all bear responsibility, and we must agree as an opposition regardless of the reasons and backgrounds on a person who possesses the required sovereignty and reform qualifications.” He reminded that "the parliament will turn into an electoral body for electing a new president starting from September 1."
In response to a question, he indicated that he is a "natural candidate for the presidency, but this depends on the unity of the opposition; if they find it suitable, he sees no problem, as we do not cling to any position; all that matters is their agreement on a single candidate to bring about the desired change in the country."
He clarified whether he would adopt a policy of obstruction to prevent the election of a president from "March 8," stating, "Every situation has its ruling; when obstruction is aimed at electing a president from 'March 8', that’s one thing, but obstruction to prevent him is entirely different; necessities allow for prohibitions."
Regarding President Nabih Berri not convening a session to elect a president before passing reform laws, he said, "I do not understand what the connection is between reform laws and sessions to elect a president." As for the stance of Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt towards a centrist president, he replied, "This matter concerns Walid Bey; you should direct this question to him."
Jaafar revealed in response to a question, "There is an agreement among a majority of opposition members regarding the points of weakness, but they do not express them with the same clarity and 'sharpness' as we do. I confirm that communication with opposing MPs is ongoing, and I am not pessimistic at all in this direction, but it must continue until the end."
Concerning Hezbollah's lack of a presidential candidate so far, specifically regarding Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh, Jaafar stated: "You should direct the question to 'Hezbollah' as I have no comment for a simple reason: both parties, contrary to what they are trying to spread, are not in the best of circumstances. In the last presidential elections, the 'party' announced its presidential candidate 17 years ago, while today it seems it is not confident in itself."
Regarding whether the term "centrist" applies to Army Chief Joseph Aoun, Jaafar declined to enter that discussion, especially since Lieutenant General Aoun refuses to discuss the subject of the presidency.
