A statement was issued today, Thursday, by Samir Geagea, the President of the Lebanese Forces Party: "President Nabih Berri has today revealed all of his intentions at once by proposing a new tripartite framework for electing a president for the republic: 'Consultation, then agreement, then election.' This clearly means practically and effectively cancelling the presidential elections and making them a mere formality following consultation and agreement. This logic constitutes a complete assault on the constitution, which stipulates in all its articles concerning presidential elections that they should be conducted solely according to the electoral process. Furthermore, President Berri's new equation transforms the parliamentary council into a 'Loya Jirga,' instead of being a council that is alive and operates as the constitution prescribes, like other parliaments around the world.
We will spare no effort to engage in any consultations that lead to the election of a president for the republic, and we have tried many times to reach an agreement within the constitutional framework. Unfortunately, it has become clear that neither consultation led to results nor agreement because of systematic obstruction. Hence, it is imperative to conduct the presidential elections as stipulated by the constitution, rather than linking their completion to a supposed agreement that effectively amounts to everyone’s approval of a Hezbollah candidate. In all cases, President Berri's new tripartite framework reminds us of the old tripartite 'Army, People, and Resistance,' which led to the usurpation of the army's role, the only force defending Lebanon, and resulted in the displacement of the people who suffer greatly from the actual state's marginalization."
