The head of the Lebanese Forces party, MP Sami al-Jumail, emphasized the importance of electing a president for the republic as soon as possible, noting that "hastening is one thing and surrendering is another; neither is justified. We will not surrender nor leave our country in its current state. Therefore, we refuse to be pressured and led into surrender by haste. Instead, haste should lead us to accept and understand each other and reach a candidate capable of uniting the Lebanese, which is what we are asking for."
After his meeting with the Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel Latif Deryan, at the Dar al-Fatwa, al-Jumail stated that "we are ready to attend a session and present all acceptable names from all parties for the presidency. We reject the imposition of a candidate’s name upon us, and we are not willing to secure a quorum for the victory of the Hezbollah team over all Lebanese and to establish a reference that produces presidents, ministers, governments, and parliamentary councils. If this logic is reversed, let us all go to the parliament and vote for any of the accepted candidates, and 'the skilled will win,' and we will congratulate any president elected democratically in the council outside the logic of imposition, obstruction, and threats."
He pointed out that "the state, the Lebanese army, and institutions along with the implementation of the constitution and ensuring equality among Lebanese are what build Lebanon. Outside this framework and with the logic of imposition and straying from institutional and constitutional norms, Lebanon will reach what we have today."
In response to a question about external guardianship, al-Jumail affirmed that "no one can influence us into surrendering, but they can influence others into hasty actions. We want to expedite the election of a president, but we are not prepared to surrender."
Regarding the opposition's delay in selecting its presidential candidate, al-Jumail reminded that the opposition's candidate is Michel Moawad, while Hezbollah's candidate is Suleiman Franjieh, adding, "Let us propose other names to reach a result, names that are acceptable to both sides to open a new page free from the logic of imposition."
When asked if there is confidence in the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Jibran Bassil, he replied, "Today, we are not in a position to form political alliances and test trust; the Free Patriotic Movement rejects the election of Franjieh, which we also reject. The question now is whether these two parties can converge on a common name?" He noted that "up until today, dialogue is ongoing but has not reached a result so far, and the issue of trust is not posed. However, we could reach this situation if they decide to take political choices different from previous ones. But this is different from the current reality, as the movement has not changed its political positioning and still supports Hezbollah's weapon."
Al-Jumail concluded: "We will use all available means to prevent Hezbollah's reference from being legitimized in the selection of presidents, ministers, deputies, governments, and making decisions regarding the overthrow and formation of governments. We do not want another Ghazi Kanaan in Lebanon."
