Bassil Meets Geagea, Vows 'Real National Unity' if Aoun Elected President
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced Thursday that the looming presidential tenure of FPM founder MP Michel Aoun will be characterized by “real national unity.”
“We discussed what has been achieved until now and we concluded that we are before a historic moment during which the Lebanese people will once again be in charge of forming their constitutional institutions,” said Bassil after talks with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab.
“We are before the election of a 'made in Lebanon' president through a Lebanese will,” Bassil added.
“We have sought consensus and we will always exert efforts in this regard but most of the times democracy requires that other people endorse other choices, although we would have liked to see our society uniting over the elements of its strength during the new era,” the FPM chief said.
He also promised that the new presidential tenure would be characterized by “real national unity and the beginning of efforts to build the State,” noting that “those who have chosen to stay outside this national plan are free in their choices but they will not be outside our homeland.”
Asked whether he was referring to the Kataeb Party, which has announced that it “will not take part in the presidential deal,” Bassil said his remarks were not aimed at responding to Kataeb.
“When we started this agreement with the LF, we said that it does not exclude anyone and we invited everyone to join it, but when another party rejects our proposals then this is its choice,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Gemayel pointed out that Aoun will not reach the presidency because he is “the strongest Christian candidate” but rather because of “Hizbullah's ethical commitment to his nomination.”
“This election will give Hizbullah the exclusive and sole right to impose presidents on the Lebanese,” Gemayel cautioned.
Referring to the rapprochement between Aoun and Geagea, which contributed to boosting the FPM founder's presidential chances, the Kataeb chief described it as “an electoral alliance based on conflicting foundations.”
Gemayel had repeatedly reiterated that Kataeb would not vote for a candidate endorsing the political vision of the Hizbulllah-led March 8 camp, in reference to both Aoun and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh.
Gemayel's stance on Thursday indicates that Kataeb's five MPs will cast blank votes.
Aoun was tipped to become president after al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri formally endorsed him last Thursday.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.
Hariri had launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
The supporters of Aoun's nomination have argued that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
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