Jabbour Says No Imminent Geagea-Hariri Meeting

There is no imminent meeting scheduled between Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the leader of al-Mustaqbal Movement, LF spokesman Charles Jabbour said on Sunday.

“The LF considered PM Hariri’s resignation a rare chance to reinforce the country’s dissociation policy,” Jabbour said in an interview on al-Jadeed television, reminiscing the strained relations between Hariri and Geagea that followed the premier’s controversial resignation from Riyadh.

“Any meeting between Hariri and Geagea should be the result of a political-electoral meeting and nothing is rushing this meeting,” Jabbour added.

Relations between the long-time allies were strained after some Mustaqbal officials accused the LF of inciting Saudi leaders to press Hariri to resign. The premier announced his resignation in November from the Saudi capital but eventually rescinded it after reaching a deal with the Hizbullah-led camp.

Separately, Jabbour said “the performance of Hizbullah’s ministers in the Cabinet is much better than that of ministers who belong to other political components,” as he ruled out any electoral alliance with the Iran-backed party.

The LF spokesman also revealed that the LF will ally with MP Nadim Gemayel, Minister Michel Pharaon, the businessman Antoun Sehnaoui and other figures in the Ashrafieh electoral district.

In Metn, the LF will ally with “local political forces” whereas in the predominantly Christian north Lebanon district it may ally with Independence Movement leader Michel Mouawad, the LF spokesman said.

Turning to Tripoli, Jabbour said the LF will not ally with former justice minister Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi because of “his viewpoint that does not match our viewpoint” and because Tripoli “cannot tolerate an LF candidate” due to the civil war history.

The LF spokesman meanwhile confirmed that his party with ally with the Kataeb Party in Zahle, hoping the LF-Kataeb alliance will expand from Ashrafieh and Zahle to Baabda and Keserwan.

And confirming that the LF will ally with the Progressive Socialist Party in Chouf-Aley, Baabda and West Bekaa, Jabbour noted that the negotiations are still ongoing with Mustaqbal over the Sidon-Jezzine district and that the LF will ally with the Free Patriotic Movement exclusively in the Zahrani-Marjeyoun district and possibly in Akkar.