Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea during an interview on July 4, 2024. Photo from his X account
BEIRUT – The head of the Lebanese Forces (LF), Samir Geagea, accused Hezbollah in a statement on Wednesday of denouncing their proposed "serious dialogue" that would pave the way to a new president in Lebanon, when the group publicly advocates for one.
"Finally, the mask fell, even after two years of the resistance axis group calling for dialogue, then dialogue, then dialogue, under the pretext of achieving the presidential elections ... As soon as the opposition together put forward, yesterday, two serious proposals for a serious dialogue to achieve the presidential election, their voices rose left and right, rejecting and denouncing," Geagea claimed.
On Tuesday, the anti-Hezbollah camp proposed a "roadmap" to pave the way for an unblocking of the presidential elections.
At a time when the head of the legislature is accusing the opposition of blocking any solution – by rejecting the expanded dialogue he is proposing – the anti-Hezbollah camp officially declared itself in favor of 48-hour "consultations" with a view to holding the ballot, within the framework of an open session of the Parliament. This would allow the election of a president after informal consultations.
"The opposition is depriving the Parliament of its legislative role," Amal Movement MP Kassem Hachem told L'Orient Today, revealing Berri's veto of the proposal.
"What they wanted through the dialogue they are calling for and the formula they are presenting are two things: First, Parliament's speaker to place its hand on the presidential elections, and this is absolutely and completely unacceptable. Secondly, to find a more comprehensive political cover to disrupt the presidential elections.," Geagea accused the two parties.
"Members of parliament who really want presidential elections today before tomorrow must unite their efforts to put sufficient pressure to hold a serious and open electoral session in successive sessions until the election of the future president," Geagea stressed.
The day after their press conference, a delegation from the opposition met with MPs from several parliamentary groups, notably with the Progressive Socialist Party, headed by Taymour Joumblatt.
After their meeting, PSP MP Wael Abu Faour said that "the initiative is positive and more flexibility is required from all parties to reach a solution, but we have not seen new ideas that could lead to the election of a president and it is not correct to say that the dialogue raises concerns." "The ideas put forward cannot lead to the completion of the presidential entitlement," Abu Faour added.
In a second meeting with the Moderation Bloc, mainly composed of former Future Movement MPs, MP Ahmed al-Khair emphasized that "everyone has become convinced that consultation is the mandatory path to electing a president."
Following a Free Patriotic Movement meeting on Wednesday, headed by MP Gebran Bassil, the later released a statement in which he said the movement's "readiness to do everything necessary to facilitate the election of a president."
Hachem, who is close to Berri castigated "those who oppose dialogue on principle and are always negative," in a statement broadcast on Wednesday by the state-run National News Agency (NNA). "For those who want a presidential election, the shortest route is Nabih Berri's initiative, the rest is a waste of time and the country's capacities."
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