Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea during an interview by Houna Loubnan, Nov. 21, 2022. (Credit: Screen capture/Houna Loubnan)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah has not managed to impose its preferred presidential candidate, Lebanese Forces leader Samer Geagea said in an interview with media platform Houna Loubnan, adding that his party still supports Zgharta MP Michel Moawad.
Since Nov. 1, Lebanon has had no president and only a caretaker cabinet, as repeated Parliamentary sessions to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun have so far failed.
“Hezbollah cannot impose a president of the republic, otherwise it would have done so from the start,” Geagea said in the interview. “The balance of power in Parliament has changed as well as the circumstances,” he added.
“The LF is by definition the main representative of Christians in Lebanon and it has the largest parliamentary bloc. This means that they have a real and fundamental influence in the presidential election and the appointment of the next prime minister.”
According to Geagea, opposing Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh is “a serious candidate for Hezbollah” but no announcement has been made “because he knows that he can not become president for now.”
By electing Frangieh, “we would not be consistent with ourselves,” Geagea said. “We do not have many options before us, except to go to Parliament and choose the president that suits us regardless of who has the best chance, otherwise we must consider this system as inadequate,” he continued.
“I have not seen any move by France to encourage the candidacy of Frangieh while we are in constant contact and knowing that they exchange names of potential candidates with Saudi Arabia,” Geagea said.
On the possibility that the Progressive Socialist Party could stop supporting Moawad and opt for Frangieh, Geagea replied that he believed the PSP would continue to vote for Moawad. “Everyone perceives the seriousness and delicacy of the situation that does not tolerate compromise,” Geagea said.
Regarding Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil, who was recently in Doha and then in Paris last week, Geagea said: “Bassil is active but what is the result of his actions? The important thing is the extent of his influence on the course of events. Without Hezbollah, his losses would have doubled and he would have lost even more influence.”
MPs have failed to elect a new president in each of the six electoral sessions held since early September. Lebanese Forces MPs have repeatedly cast their ballots for Moawad, who obtained 43 votes in the last session.