Geagea to Aoun: Don’t Let Anyone Spoil Your Presidential Term

Leader of the Lebanese Forces Party Samir Geagea on Thursday addressed a message to President Michel Aoun, urging him to intervene to save his presidential term, the National News Agency reported.

“This is your presidential term, do not allow anyone to spoil it,” Geagea said, in reference to Aoun’s son-in-law, Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jeban Bassil without naming him.

Geagea explained that the first message he addressed from Verdun was that "there is no problem between the Druze and the Christians in the Mountain,” stressing adherence to a historic 2001 so-called Mountain Reconciliation between the Druze and Christians.

"We have proved to be a large Christian party that is strongly present in the Mountain. We are committed to the Reconciliation of the Mountain until the end. All parties must exert efforts to preserve and protect it and avoid any behavior or speech that could negatively affect it," he said in an interview with French-language Beirut newspaper L'Orient Le Jour.

Geagea said the "Maarab agreement is firm and stable,” in reference to the 2016 agreement between the onetime foes, himself and FPM founder Aoun. Geagea had withdrawn from the presidential race in favor of Aoun endorsing him for the head of State post.

“Despite all the differences with Bassil we are keen on it. Those differences should in no way hinder reconciliation with the FPM,” he said.

"We are also keen to maintain good relations with Prime Minister Saad Hariri," said Geagea.

"As for the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblat, our good relations with him stem from the Mountain Reconciliation,” he said.