LF Says Discussed with Franjieh 'Possibility' of His Nomination but Didn't Ask for Dialogue with Hizbullah

The Lebanese Forces snapped back at Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh on Monday, denying that it had asked for assistance to engage in dialogue with Hizbullah.

“Franjieh's claim that the LF asked for help to engage in serious dialogue with Hizbullah is not true,” the LF's media office said in a statement.

“Had the LF had this intention, it would have done it directly” without any assistance, it said.

The Marada chief said on Sunday that the LF had proposed to nominate him for the presidency in return for an LF official becoming interior minister, not appointing then Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief and being granted assistance to hold talks with top Hizbullah officials.

Roukoz is the son-in-law of Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun.

Franjieh also told a number of reporters at his residence in Bnashii that he would withdraw from the presidential race if al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri decided to back Aoun for the country's top Christian post.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 because of differences between rival factions on a compromise candidate.

Last month, Geagea endorsed his long-time rival Aoun. The two officials were enraged when Hariri, the leader of the March 14 alliance, backed Franjieh, a member of the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp.

The LF statement said that it “does not put a veto on any candidate” and “cares for having a balanced opinion on the military commander's post.”

It also denied that Geagea's endorsement of Aoun came following a meeting that Hariri held with Franjieh in Paris late last year, after which it emerged that they had struck a deal to support the Marada chief.

The statement said that talks with Aoun had begun months ago.

G.K.

M.T.