Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. (Credit: Chamoun Daher)
BEIRUT — In a speech Thursday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea strongly criticized Hezbollah’s election slogan and the party’s ongoing alliance with the Free Patriotic Movement led by MP Gebran Bassil, whom Geagea accuses of corruption.
Here’s what we know:
• Geagea asserted that “anyone who votes for Hezbollah votes for the FPM.” In a speech broadcast live at 4 p.m. Geagea began by criticizing Hezbollah’s election slogan, “We stay to protect and build,” by saying that “nobody asked you to protect anyone.”
• Tension has been particularly high between Geagea’s party and Hezbollah since the outbreak of clashes in the Tayyouneh area of Beirut on Oct. 14 that left seven people dead. Hezbollah and Amal accuse LF-affiliated gunmen of starting the fighting, a charge the LF vehemently denies.
• “Some will say that Hezbollah did not know its allies well. But today, is it not aware of the corruption and failure of its allies, especially Gebran Bassil?” Geagea continued. “Therefore, the slogan ‘We stay to protect and build’ does not help to protect or build.”
• “Hezbollah is unfortunately the one that has contributed the most to the situation in which Lebanon finds itself today. Even worse, it plans to continue on this path, through its alliance with Gebran Bassil and his party,” Geagea added. “We said that whoever votes for the FPM votes for Hezbollah, and that is 100 percent true. Today, I say to you, and I say especially to the Shiites: whoever votes for Hezbollah votes for the FPM.”