The leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, met with the former parliamentary candidate for the Sunni seat in Tripoli, Samer Kabara, at the party's headquarters in Maarab, in the presence of the assistant secretary-general for electoral affairs, Jad Demian, and the party coordinator for Tripoli, Fadi Mahfoud. Following the meeting, Kabara framed the visit within the context of discussing political and national developments, noting that "there were discussions about some issues concerning the city of Tripoli, particularly the deteriorating economic situation due to Syrian displacement, which has frozen economic activity in the city, while the municipality does not take any steps in this regard, like other public facilities in the northern capital."
Kabara explained that he discussed with the head of the Lebanese Forces "how to organize the issue of Syrian displacement in Tripoli and manage this file in cooperation with the municipality and the city's representatives to reach an effective solution similar to other Lebanese regions that are organizing this presence." He stressed that "the first step is to know the actual and real number of displaced persons in Tripoli and who among them works legally," asserting that "there must be efforts to organize their movement inside and outside the city."
He also noted that the head of the Lebanese Forces was positive and showed a willingness to help in this context, justifying that "the Wise Man cares greatly about the affairs of the city of Tripoli." Regarding his concerns about possible security "shocks" in the city due to the large number of refugees present, Kabara responded, "In the absence of a database and information that counts the number of Syrian refugees in the city, in addition to not knowing their places of residence, it is certain that the threat is looming over the Tripoli community. However, the greater danger is the constant use of Tripoli as a mailbox before every national entitlement, and this is what we fear today, hoping not to see this scene in the presidential election or other entitlements."
Regarding whether he carried a political message from Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri to the head of the Lebanese Forces due to their familial relationship, Kabara replied, "I believe that the Wise Man and President Berri can communicate between themselves, so they do not need me. However, I can confirm that President Berri and the Wise Man will work, God willing, for the good of the country." When asked if he had information from President Berri regarding the election of a president soon, Kabara simply stated, "I don't know; you should ask President Berri about this matter."
