Geagea Slams Hizbullah over Drone, Says Only Govt. Must Respond to Israel Violations
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday described Hizbullah's sending of an Iranian-built drone over Israel as “a direct message from Iran to Israel and the Western countries as part of the tug of war in the region,” stressing that “taking such dangerous decisions must be the responsibility of the state, not any party, regardless of its position.”
“This is not the right way to respond to Israel, which must happen through a complete defense strategy that must be laid out by the government exclusively,” Geagea told reporters after a meeting for the LF parliamentary bloc in Maarab.
“Israel's violations of Lebanon's airspace do not justify for Hizbullah to act unilaterally, especially that the wounds of the July War have not healed until today, and Hizbullah's insistence on drawing the Israeli threat makes it fully responsible for any human casualties Lebanon might suffer as a result of putting it in the eye of the storm and dragging it into the inferno of regional conflicts,” Geagea added.
Geagea said the LF holds the government responsible “for the deterioration, in the absence of any clear social plan.”
He also called for keeping the judiciary away from “political interventions,” stressing that the factor of competency must be respected in any future administrative appointments.
He also called for “full coordination” among all the parties of the March 14 camp and for holding the 2013 parliamentary elections on time.
Geagea said the LF wants a new electoral law that is “in line with the Taef Accord and which ensures proper representation.”
“An electoral law based on small electorates would be the salvation of the Lebanese voter,” he noted.
“We hold the foreign minister and the government responsible for taking the necessary measures that enable the Lebanese who reside outside Lebanon of practicing their right to vote,” added Geagea.
Asked about his talks in Jeddah with ex-PM Saad Hariri on the issue of the elections, Geagea said: “I agreed with Hariri on a full strategy concerning the elections according to the small electorates proposal and the rest of the details will be announced later.”
Geagea voiced his rejection of the 1960 electoral law, describing it as “inappropriate” and noting that the LF will try to convince all parties of its proposal, which is based on dividing Lebanon into 50 electoral districts.
“I call on (Free Partiotic Movement leader MP Michel) Aoun and the FPM to endorse this law, which has the support of 55 MPs and only needs the support of Aoun's bloc to gain the needed majority,” Geagea added.
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