The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, expressed that he has been aware since the start of the constitutional deadline for electing a president, which lasts six months, that the main and serious candidate of Hezbollah and its allies is Sleiman Frangieh. In an interview with "Al-Independant" Arabic, he noted that based on this, their reaction was to reject the fake calls for dialogue, as they would be a waste of time while the other team clings to its candidate.
Geagea listed a series of ongoing direct and indirect dialogues, the most important of which were led by the head of the Progressive Socialist Party with Hezbollah and Speaker Nabih Berri, in addition to the indirect dialogue between Bkirki and the Speaker of the House, as well as between Bkirki and Hezbollah, and between the Maronite Patriarchate envoy Bishop Antoine Bou Najm and all Christian leaders. He confirmed that these dialogues have not led to any results because Hezbollah and its allies only want Frangieh, while the opposition has repeatedly stated with its candidate, MP Michel Moawad, that it is not attached to his candidacy if another name can garner 65 votes and meets the criteria for the current phase.
In response to a question, Geagea ruled out any possibility currently for Hezbollah to withdraw its support for Frangieh, mentioning that if they decide to do so, they will choose a candidate with no character, color, or stance, and at that point, they would take the same position against such a candidate.
He emphasized that "the actual disruptor of the presidential entitlement is Hezbollah's refusal of a serious and real president for Lebanon," accusing it of wanting to bring in a president who is completely aligned with it, one who executes its policies without daring to make a decision, otherwise, they would disrupt the elections.
Regarding his advanced stance in the context of hindering electoral sessions and its connection to new external and internal data in favor of Frangieh, after having previously stated that the deputies of the "Strong Republic" bloc could miss only one or two sessions, Geagea pointed out that this position is not related to any developments or new data regarding the possibility of the head of the Marada Movement reaching the presidency. He reminded that "up until recently, we were still demanding adherence to constitutional procedures and conducting open electoral sessions, and we were prepared to accept their results even if their candidate won. However, after five months of presidential vacancy, and after they decided to change the terms of the democratic game and disrupt the constitution while waiting for their suitable timing, this is something we totally reject, considering that 'being humane is one thing, being principled is another, and being reckless is something else.' No one expects us to be foolish enough to accept that they disrupt at their convenience and come at a time when they ensure their candidate's success to ask us to facilitate his arrival."
While revealing that he has received offers to support the head of the Marada Movement, Geagea did not deny that he had been approached by several internal and external parties in an attempt "to convince me to accept Frangieh for the presidency, in exchange for a prime minister closer to the opposition, which I rejected." He continued, "When the negotiators asked me why I rejected Frangieh, I clarified that the problem is not with the head of the Marada Movement but in taking steps that exacerbate the crisis instead of resolving it. If Frangieh becomes president, he will govern based on the power that he relied on to reach the presidency, namely Hezbollah and its allies."
When asked if he would accept supporting Frangieh if the latter committed to implementing a reform plan with international guarantees, the head of the Lebanese Forces emphasized that this scenario is "far from reality, especially since Frangieh is committed to a certain line, and all the data and facts over the past years prove that."
In response to a question about whether he prefers chaos or Frangieh, he said: "Is there more chaos than what we are currently living? Either we elect a president capable of starting to resolve the crisis, or why should we elect at all?"
Geagea concluded: "The opposition is united in its approach to the presidential entitlement and its stance on Frangieh's candidacy. Electing a real president for Lebanon will take a long time, and after everything we have reached, we will not accept to vote except for a capable and real president."
