Geagea Urges Revival of Institutions, Says Lebanese will be Fearless in Presidential Elections

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea called on Saturday for reviving the nation's constitutional institutions, mainly the presidency, to hold effective elections next year.

Geagea called for holding “effective” presidential elections when President Michel Suleiman's six-year mandate ends in May next year.

“We should revive our constitutional institutions because without them there would be no country,” the LF chief told a delegation of Lebanese American University students from the Jbeil campus.

“At the helm of these institutions is the presidency,” he said.

Geagea criticized the parties that are claiming there would be no elections without consensus on the name of the next head of the state.

“They are not democrats because the elections are not a Loya Jirga,” he told the students.

“The days of settlements and understandings that used to take place in closed rooms are gone,” Geagea said, stressing “they have been replaced by democracy, freedom, sovereignty and independence.”

Lawmakers “will not be afraid and will head to a session to elect the new president … no matter how much threats will be made” he said.

“The Lebanese will not be afraid … and will elect according to their own choices,” he added.

There are fears that differences and lack of consensus among rival political parties would prevent the parliament from meeting and would lead to a vacuum in the presidency.