Geagea Says Running against Vacuum, Ready to Open All War Files

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stated on Saturday that his presidential program was based on the party's values without changing it to please anyone, announcing also that he is ready to “open all war files.”

"My nomination comes against the option of (presidential) vacuum which adopted by some factions,” Geagea said as he met with party officials in the French capital Paris.

"They are dragging Christians and the Lebanese into the unknown,” he stated.

Geagea continued: "We are not like other traditional parties, the LF is a life path. Even in the presidential elections, we proposed a political program to break the tradition and to push the vote forward.”

“This program is clear and did not try to please anyone, but was based on our beliefs,” he added.

"We believe in the democratic practice. The LF took the initiative to correct paths and put things in the right direction.”

The presidential candidate lamented “abusing the constitution in undemocratic and unethical ways through obstructing the elections and casting blank or 'black' votes.”

Geagea succeeded in the first round of votes at the parliament in gathering the support of 48 MPs, while 52 cast blank votes, 16 backed centrist MP Henri Helou, and one voted for Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel.

Meanwhile, several lawmakers wrote the names of people killed during the Lebanese Civil War between 1975 and 1990.

But quorum was not secured in the second, third and fourth rounds of votes, which prevented the election of a new head of state.

In a related matter, Geagea considered that “there is a machine working relentlessly to tarnish the image of the LF.”

"They keep referring to the days of the war, during which they were not innocents,” he noted.

He added: “A lot of what has been said are lies and defamation. We don't deny what happened in the war, and we dare to talk about that era and what happened then.”

"But they don't,” the Christian leader pointed out.

"We did not fight alone in the war, and if they wanted to open all files, let's open them all.”

Geagea embarked on an Arab and European tour on Friday that will reportedly include Saudi Arabia.

MTV reported he has so far met with al-Mustaqbal bloc head MP Fouad Siniora in the French capital.

"He also held talks with Arab and international officials, during which he discussed the situation in Lebanon and the regional crises' influence on it," it said.

The same source noted that MP Boutros Harb has also left Lebanon for Paris.

S.D.B.