Bassil Dismisses Franjieh's Remarks: We Won't Compete with Him in Parliament
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil hinted Wednesday that the Change and Reform bloc and Hizbullah will not take part in any parliamentary session involving a competition over the presidential post between bloc chief MP Michel Aoun and Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh.
Bassil's statement came only hours after Franjieh boasted that his presidential bid enjoys the support of 70 out of 127 MPs and noted that only “forty” lawmakers would vote for Aoun.
“I didn't know that we have started counting votes but we will not reach a stage during which we compete with Franjieh in parliament,” Bassil underlined during an interview with MTV.
“During the past 34 sessions, we were sparing the country the trap of having a weak president,” Bassil added, referring to Change and Refrom and Hizbullah's boycott of electoral sessions.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of successor and al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Franjieh as president.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Hariri's ally in the March 14 camp, was a presidential candidate at the time and some observers have said that the LF leader has recently nominated Aoun for the presidency as a “reaction” to Hariri's proposal, a claim Geagea has denied.
“When the majority of Christians reach an agreement, it would be difficult to disregard,” Bassil said during the interview.
“Should they bypass Christian consensus, the idea of coexistence itself would become in question,” Bassil warned.
He explained that “a gradual buildup led to the LF's support for General Aoun's nomination,” adding that the two parties must seek to take their agreement to a higher level.
“The biggest say in the presidential issue belongs to Christians and this is a firm principle that we will not renounce,” added Bassil.
Turning to Change and Reform's alliance with Hizbullah, Bassil noted that the party is still committed to its support for Aoun's presidential bid.
“Hizbullah is in the picture of our agreement with the LF and it has a great interest in it,” Bassil added.
Y.R.
27 January 2016, 23:44
11
What does the FPM want? one party, one voice? this may be ok in China, North Korea and Iran, but not in Lebanon! have some courage FPMers! Is the General going to keep running away from his moral and legal duties until his last breath?
27 January 2016, 23:49
00
So now we can sit back and remember all the BS from March 14 and Aoun in the last 10 years and finally say that the real people to boycotting the presidency are the two same people who divided the Christians
28 January 2016, 02:33
12
why wouldn't take part in a parliamentary session that involves competition between two candidates? Isnt that the definition of "democracy"?????
28 January 2016, 02:58
25
"We Won't Compete with Him in Parliament"
were will you compete with him? On the street? And this horrible party accuses KSA of obstructing the elections.
28 January 2016, 05:11
24
The party that gave us headaches on a daily basis flooding us with claims how they are fighting for democracy, change, reform, strong institutions, justice, fighting corruption, etc. This ignorant and arrogant nobody should tell the Lebanese people: Where do presidential candidates compete if not in parliament?
28 January 2016, 06:28
24
Popcorn, hotdogs, phones on silent, the show is about to begin
28 January 2016, 06:41
12
I told you we will not compete with Franjieh in parliament, remember?
28 January 2016, 06:48
12
Only the general of generals ..Michel Aoun is fit to be president. The rest pfffft....
28 January 2016, 07:16
13
It could not be any clearer: "Aoun will not compete in Parliament". He'd rather destroy the whole country before he finally meets "Skeletor".
28 January 2016, 08:09
12
As a Shia Maronite Christian, I wish Bassil would become our president. My childhood friend @nonabel also agrees with me.
28 January 2016, 16:09
12
Franjieh seems to have confidence in his support, so why dont he go all the way and ask for a referendum. He may be able to get a number of MPs supporting him with their philosophy being "Id rather go with the donkey than the fox" or "the enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine". Bit among the majority of the lebanese people Franjieh is looked upon as downright stupid.
