Suleiman Meets Al-Rahi, Geagea Ready to Discuss Pullout in Case of Deal on Another March 14 Candidate

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  • W460
  • W460
  • W460

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said on Thursday that he was ready to mull his pullout from the presidential race if a deal was reached to back the candidacy of another March 14 alliance member.

“I will discuss the withdrawal of my candidacy from the presidential elections if there was an agreement on another official from March 14,” Geagea said following talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.

He also expressed readiness to discuss any proposal that leads to the election of a “serious president” to avoid vacuum.

“My only concern is to have a Republic,” he told reporters, a day after parliament failed in the third week in a row to elect a new head of state.

“My candidacy is not a challenge to anyone. My program is clear,” he said after March 8 alliance members criticized the March 14 camp for obstructing the elections process by holding onto Geagea's candidacy.

The LF chief criticized a “Christian party” of pushing the country’s top Maronite post towards vacuum. Geagea was referring to the Change Reform bloc of MP Michel Aoun, which has been boycotting the elections along with many lawmakers from the March 8 alliance.

Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, has repeatedly said that he would only announce his candidacy if there was consensus on him.

Geagea hoped that the patriarch would be able to convince the parties that have been causing lack of quorum at parliament to attend the legislative sessions aimed at electing a head of state.

President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends on May 25.

The LF leader also criticized the campaign launched against the patriarch over his planned visit to the Palestinian territories later this month.

He hoped that the critics would “deal with their own concerns” rather than condemning al-Rahi's trip that is aimed at greeting Pope Francis in the Holy Land.

And in the evening, al-Rahi met with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace, and both men discussed the anticipated presidential elections.

The Patriarch has repeatedly said that it was his duty as the head of the Maronite Church to visit Jerusalem, stressing that he was not seeking to normalize ties with the Jewish state.

G.K.

M.T.

Comments 41
Thumb EagleDawn 08 May 2014, 13:35

God bless you Geagea for your staunch support of a free and democratic Lebanon. Shame on those who claim they represent Christians and do everything to diminish the seat of the presidency. People appreciate your courageous and noble stances.

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 14:14

@FT: what do you make of Iran's Yahya Rahim Safavi claiming Iran's border extend to the mediterranean including the Lebanon Israel border ?

Do you agree with this ? Do you still support Hezbollah or do you see them differently now ? Do you still support Aoun backing Hezbollah ?

Bunch of traitors trying to talk politics when all they do is support terrorist organisations and sell their country to Iran !

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 14:54

@Southern : don't try to interpret what Safavi "means" to fit your purpose. It's clear now ! Hezbollah is Iran's terrorist army in Lebanon and Iran considers Lebanon it's territory.

You are a traitor and we will eliminate you and all Iranian traitors in Lebanon !

If it takes war, let there be blood !

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 15:15

What Safavi is saying : "Our line of defense is no longer in Shalamche (a border town in Iran which was one of main sites of Iran-Iraq war); our defensive lines are in southern Lebanon border with Israel, and our strategic depth has reached areas adjacent to the Mediterranean above Israel"

"OUR DEFENSIVE LINES " ??? Unless Iran has an army in Lebanon, then this army is clearly Hezbollah.

This means Hezbollah are taking orders from Iran making them traitors for collaborating with an foreign state, taking funding, weapons and conducting war related activities UNSANCTIONNED by the state of Lebanon !

Hassan Nasrallah and his followers are traitors and should be dealt with immediately !

Thumb cedre 08 May 2014, 15:44

FC, what Safavi said, it's true. Iran is effectively controlling syria and lebanon, with US approval...
This is the new Middle East, US pulling out, they gave parts of Iraq and Afganistan to Iran, plus Levant in their de facto influence sphere...

Thumb cedre 08 May 2014, 15:47

'the guy was talking about the influence of shiism as religion and culture'

LOL, taqiya BS from farsi ft... Read this sarsour http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930213000276

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 16:39

@Cedre, I know it's true. And FT's pathetic attempt at lying to excuse Hezbollah and Iran once again is scandalous !

It's time to take action against Hezbollah and give them something to fear that is much stronger than Zionists or Takfiri Cannibals : PATRIOTS !

We kicked Syria out without a single drop of blood, we will disarm Hezbollah or kick them out in the same way!

Southern, FT and Crushed Mowaten and all M8 sheep have prostituted our country far too long ! Enough with this heresy !

Thumb cedre 08 May 2014, 16:43

texas, why did US destroy Iraq and hand it over to Iran despite iraq sunni majority?
Why did they attack Iraq and not Iran in the first place ?
Why do they let Hizbos and Assad in place ?
Why US trained an afghan army with overrepresented shia minorities ?
Its not conspiracy, israelis and shias are the US gendarmes in the MENA region.

Thumb ex-fpm 08 May 2014, 17:39

southern do you have any statistics on syria?

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 23:57

@southern : yes, in Syria, Assad has the support of 99% of the population. And you have 20% of the country that fled ...

Thumb sophia_angle 09 May 2014, 09:57

lady gaga knows he won't be president his job was to stand in front of the tsunami...b careful ! the tsunami sleep right now

Thumb sophia_angle 09 May 2014, 10:14

God saves GMA our last crusader

Missing cedars 08 May 2014, 13:54

The way Gemayel is running around to meet with every group seems to me as the next president.

Default-user-icon lebanese (Guest) 08 May 2014, 13:55

god bless you DR Geagea

Default-user-icon Hanoun (Guest) 08 May 2014, 14:27

geagea for president no one else
let him taste how diminished the seat of presidency is as the result of taef (he was the first to sign )

Missing coolmec 08 May 2014, 14:37

cedars
ABA = Anybody But Aoun

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 14:54

Says the one who supports Hezbollah STEALING our country and giving it to Iran ? SHOVE IT!

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 14:55

You're INCAPABLE of reply !

Missing sergio 08 May 2014, 15:07

Aoun is suppose to be in jail he should be tried for deserting the Army & running to the French Embassy. Hizb doesn't want a strong candidate, they want someone to put the leash on his neck & control him. Haram 3al sh3ab

Thumb sophia_angle 09 May 2014, 10:02

lool FT hit it boommm! :)

Thumb beiruti 08 May 2014, 15:49

Winston Churchill once said of the Americans, "Americans are good people, they always do the right thing... after having exhausted all other options."

The Lebanese Christians, I hope are as good as Churchill described the Americans. There is only one solution and maybe the Christians will get to it after having exhausted all other options. Geagea and Aoun must endorse a single candidate who is neither Geagea or Aoun.
The ancient feud between these two and their camps must end if the Christians are to unite and if the Christians do not unite they will have no right to any meaningful leadership role in the Lebanese Republic.

Thumb beiruti 08 May 2014, 15:52

They do not have to accept each other, but both must accept some third party among the Christians to lead the nation and then bring their people behind their mutual choice.
If Lebanon chose its president by election rather than by consensus, then they could butt heads in an election. But, this is not the modus operandi in Lebanon. Geagea's candidacy is premised on an election, Aoun's demands on a consensus. They are not now even on the same page as to process. Lebanon is not yet ready for a Presidential election where there are winners and losers. But a win-win solution that requires consensus. All leaders, but Aoun seem to be willing to engage this process. Aoun remains stuck on himself as the only and sole candidate possible, Why?

Thumb beiruti 08 May 2014, 15:54

Why? because he is now 79 years old. This is his last chance. If he waits another 6 year term to try again, he will be 85 years old. Too old to serve. So, as this is his last chance to win the Presidential Chair, Lebanon finds itself at its hour of maximum danger as Aoun will sacrifice everything and anything to get to the chair. Of course, a chair sitting amid the ruins of the house is a worthless thing, but such is the blind ambition of this Aoun and his zlim Aouni followers.

Default-user-icon Kazan (Guest) 08 May 2014, 16:13

Lebanon as is currently can not survive, all deals are attempts to run away from the reality. There are 2 possible scenarios for future Lebanon, for sure within 25 years; the best one will be: 2 Lebanon one western oriented the second oriental orientation; the second scenario which we don't hope for Lebanon will vanish between Syria and Israel.

Thumb -phoenix1 08 May 2014, 16:15

Some may not like my opinion over this thread, but the LF have shown singular courage when it comes to difficult decision making. From Bachir to Geagea, we were first to surrender our weapons when the situation dictated so. Now since Geagea came up with a solid plan for his hoped-for presidency, which now seems to be in the odds, his move to mull over his withdrawal cannot be given due respect. If and when confirmed, we all hope that this will pave the way for compromise between the two main contenders, M14 and M8, to opt for a candidate that will be neither 14 nor 8. As much as it may not please either side, but the solution remains solidly anchored well away from either Geagea or Aoun, and into territory that belongs to neutral, impartial and technocratic contenders. We all hope that maturity and common sense will steer everyone to making decisions that will take us all out of our current quandary.

Thumb beiruti 08 May 2014, 16:19

phoenix1, I like your opinion and agree with it. The LF is a Lebanese nationalist entity as such, it acts to further Lebanese nationalism. If all Christian parties did the same, we would not be at this point with one party holding the stick in the wheel of the national movement.

Missing forces 08 May 2014, 17:03

Bravo Phoenix some cannot accept that the ideology we follow is greater than Geagea or anyone else we gladly follow any enforcer of this cause as we did cheikh Bashir before him. Yet these juveniles prefer a Demi god that will build them a road during election time then forget about them for another term.

Thumb -phoenix1 08 May 2014, 18:47

Forgot to tell you thanks too to you @Forces, good post as always.

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 17:56

Of course you don't preach democracy, you preach Iranian hegemony over Lebanon through dictators such as Michel Aoun and terrorist leaders such as Nasrallah !

Get out of Lebanon. Lebanon is a democracy under the constitution and you have no role to play here.

Thumb -phoenix1 08 May 2014, 18:46

Beirut and Slash, thanks for your views, always nice to know your opinion.

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 23:11

@FT : Democracy doesn't work when you have you don't have a homogenous nation. I agree with that.

You know what prevents us from being a homogenous nation ? A SECTARIAN ARMY, AN ISLAMIC ARMY, defining the axis of division in the country.

All democracies must have divisions because difference of opinions is healthy !

However, Hezbollah is making this division a Sunni-Shiia division. Christians are divided amongst these lines.

Put everyone on equal ground of "power", remove the weapons and you will see new factors of division.

Our civil war never ended and to put an end to it and move on, Hezbollah must drop its weapons and stop taking orders from Iran.

It's quite simple. Then we can talk politics, economy, education, tourism, ... something Hezbollah has no clue about !

Thumb falanges 09 May 2014, 10:18

dont worry he is not in Lebanon, just a mouthpiece from far

Thumb -phoenix1 08 May 2014, 16:17

**Typos again, mean to to say...Cannot BUT be given due respect...**

Thumb -phoenix1 08 May 2014, 18:45

ORO, please check, I wrote, "ORO, Taken in good faith", so we're past it by now, ma heyk? But Coolmec did suggest that you also change the avatar, maybe that would also be a good thing. Just my drift.

Thumb beiruti 08 May 2014, 16:48

Sepllnig is oerv slod as a reuqiemnt for cuatiocummn. As long as the first and last letters are in place, most folks can fiugr out the message.

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 17:50

Aoun may not have publicly announced his nomination but has prostituted himself left and right to gather support for his candidacy. Same same FT ! Don't try and masquarade things !

And No, Lebanon and Iran are not a common resistance ! Hezbollah and Iran maybe ! But last I looked, Lebanon is still a sovereign country and has never signed an alliance with Iran to "Resist" Israel !

And yes, Iran by proxy of Hezbollah occupies Lebanon, non just the south ! There is no single shred of evidence pointing to Hezbollah not being an Iranian organisation !

Stop struggling, you're becoming more and more pathetic !

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 May 2014, 17:52

What do you say of your ally, Frangieh nominating Aoun for presidency ? http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/124176 :)

You can post your messages yourself or have someone post them for you !

Default-user-icon trueself (Guest) 08 May 2014, 19:43

Geagea would be much better as a party leader rather than a president. No matter how supreme his stances are, becoming a president at this time when things are jumbled and unclear would backfire on him and ion M14. accepting to steo down, or accepting the fact that he was hasty in running for a president, is a noble thing which will ease the pressure from unto the M14 and open the way for electing a consensual president that could sustain Lebanon until the situation in Syria clears. No one knows how long the Syrian war will take, but the war is likely to go one for years while Lebanon would have to grapple with its consequences.

Thumb beiruti 08 May 2014, 19:55

Wrong Roary, M14 does not support Hassan Nasrallah, nor his pet le Petit Generale

Thumb liberty 09 May 2014, 02:56

Thanks for alerting us about fake posters and hope your brother feels better now.

Thumb sophia_angle 09 May 2014, 10:08

lady gaga the looser a fake doctor whoz main target "the immigration of Christians from Middle East" God protect our last crusader GMA !!!