Franjieh Nominates Aoun for Presidency without Withdrawing Own Candidacy
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh announced Thursday that he nominates his ally Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for the presidency of the republic, noting that he will not run in person without Aoun's "consent."
“My name has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate but I will support General Michel Aoun and I won't accept to run in the election without General Aoun's consent,” Franjieh told LBCI television, in a weekly TV show dedicated to interviewing the major presidential candidates.
“There are two major candidates in our political camp, but General Michel Aoun is the stronger candidate. This does not mean that I have joined the FPM, but Aoun's political choices oblige me to respect his position as well as my loyalty to my political camp,” Franjieh clarified.
“For the Marada Movement, it has been settled, our candidate is General Aoun,” he added.
Asked whether he would support naming Commando Regiment commander Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz -- Aoun's son-in-law – as army chief, Franjieh said: “My good relation with Chamel Roukoz and his capabilities speak for themselves.”
“A settlement might lead to the election of a March 8 or March 14 president and I cannot be elected as president except under a settlement in which both camps would be satisfied,” Franjieh noted.
He stressed that the rival March 14 coalition will not endorse his nomination or Aoun's nomination.
Responding to remarks voiced by a pro-March 14 journalist during the TV show, Franjieh said: “They started claiming to be defenders of sovereignty after the Syrian (army's) withdrawal (from Lebanon) and I garnered the highest number of Christian votes (in parliamentary elections) after the Syrians pulled out.”
“No president will be elected – (Lebanese Forces leader) Samir Geagea or anyone else -- without a regional and international settlement,” Franjieh emphasized.
In response to a question, the Marada leader said: “(Syrian President) Bashar Assad is my friend and brother and he will remain so.”
“If I become a president, I will stay in the March 8 camp even if I am open to my rivals, whose rights will be reserved,” he stated.
On his relation with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, Franjieh said: “Walid Beik has his political weight in the country and I was told several times that he must be reassured regarding the presidency, but I said that I have allies and I believe in their political approach.”
“I respect his position but I won't seek anyone's approval, as my strength and alliances are the things that might secure my election as president,” he added.
Asked about the issue of eavesdropping, Franjieh said: “I'm not with random tapping of people's conversations and not with assigning tapping to any specific security agency, because even after 9/11 this did not happen. There must be control over eavesdropping and we voiced objections over this issue during today's cabinet session."
"I believe that any issue that enjoys consensus under the National Pact would be implemented without the need for the president's muscle-flexing and any issue outside national consensus will be obstructed, regardless of the president's clout," Franjieh said, when asked about the issue of disarming Hizbullah.
"If Western countries asked me to disarm Hizbullah within three months and put me before two choices -- a problem in my country or a blockade by foreign countries -- I would choose the international blockade in order to preserve domestic peace," he said, in response to a hypothetical question.
President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends in May but the Constitution states that the parliament should start meeting March 25 to elect a new head of state.
No one has yet officially announced his candidacy for the top post but there are several contenders from the rival March 8 and 14 camps.
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27 March 2014, 22:47
Franjieh: They started claiming to be defenders of sovereignty after the Syrian withdrawal and I garnered the highest number of Christian votes after the Syrians pulled out. No president will be elected -- Samir Geagea or anyone else -- without a regional and international settlement.
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27 March 2014, 22:18
Franjieh: March 14 will not endorse our nominations.
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27 March 2014, 22:16
Franjieh: For the Marada Movement, it has been settled, our candidate is General Aoun.
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27 March 2014, 22:14
Franjieh: There are two major candidates in our political camp, but General Michel Aoun is the stronger candidate. This does not mean that I have joined the FPM, but Aoun's political choices oblige me to respect his position as well as my loyalty to my political camp.
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27 March 2014, 22:12
Franjieh: My name has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate but I will support General Michel Aoun and I won't accept to run in the election without General Aoun's consent.
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27 March 2014, 21:59
Franjieh: I support privatization but that must happen under the state's conditions and I believe it can create job opportunities for the young generation.
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27 March 2014, 21:55
Franjieh: I'm with the army's control over security in Tripoli and it must enter Jabal Mohsen as well as Bab al-Tabbaneh, but the army and other authorities cannot act without political consensus.
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27 March 2014, 21:53
Franjieh: Walid Beik (Jumblat) has his political weight in the country and I was told several times that he must be reassured regarding the presidency, but I said that I have allies and I believe in their political approach. I respect his position but I won't seek anyone's approval, as my strength and alliances are the things that might secure my election as president.
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27 March 2014, 21:49
Franjieh: Bashar Assad is my friend and brother and he will remain so ... If I become a president, I will stay in the March 8 camp even if I am open to my rivals, whose rights will be reserved.
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27 March 2014, 21:48
Franjieh: I'm with turning the ISF Intelligence Bureau into a security agency that is in service of entire Lebanon, but today it is well-known with whom it is affiliated and how it works. It is now a department and I support turning it into an independent branch for the sake of Lebanon under a settlement involving all parties.
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27 March 2014, 21:46
Franjieh: A settlement might lead to the election of a March 8 or March 14 president and I cannot be elected as president except under a settlement in which both camps would be satisfied.
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27 March 2014, 21:45
Franjieh: If Western countries asked me to disarm Hizbullah within three months and put me before two choices -- a problem in my country or a blockade by foreign countries -- I would choose the international blockade in order to preserve domestic peace.
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27 March 2014, 21:43
Franjieh: I believe that any issue that enjoys consensus under the National Pact would be implemented without the need for the president's muscle-flexing and any issue outside national consensus will be obstructed, regardless of the president's clout.
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27 March 2014, 21:42
Franjieh: If you want to be a president you must be pragmatic and if I faced a situation in which the state's prestige is at stake, I wouldn't hesitate to resign, but the president cannot think of resigning whenever something happens.
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27 March 2014, 21:41
Franjieh: I'm not with random tapping of people's conversations and not with assigning tapping to any specific security agency, because even after 9/11 this did not happen. There must be control over eavesdropping and we voiced objections over this issue during today's cabinet session.
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27 March 2014, 21:40
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh in an interview on LBCI: There are no disputes with Aoun except over big policies and we belong to the same camp in politics. My good relation with Chamel Roukoz and his capabilities speak for themselves.
28 March 2014, 09:33
31
God bless all of our intellectually challenged citizens, and God bless douiehe patiserre makes very nice sweets..
27 March 2014, 21:49
710
Why mystic?
He is a warlord, a corrupt politician. I saw a video of him beating one of his supporters. The latter was kissing Frangieh's shoes while being beaten by frangieh
I was like so disgusted
27 March 2014, 23:58
46
FT
I no longer have the video but I assure you I saw it and saw him insulting and beating his supporter who was on his knees kissing frangieh's shoes
It was a degrading scene
28 March 2014, 02:54
83
You call that hitting? They are talking, and half of the audio is gone.
28 March 2014, 01:30
44
Really F.t.?
Is Franjieh a supreme Judge appointed by the court to punish thieves or criminals? Such behavior is typical of a warlord who are above the law.
27 March 2014, 22:13
56
ibnharethreik
I also heard that his grand father the late president killed several people in a church prior to becoming president. I don't know how he was chosen president then
27 March 2014, 22:59
145
God Bless all the righteous leaders in Lebanon and keep the cannibal terrorists in hell....
27 March 2014, 22:59
67
Lebanonforever
God help us if we will be limited to choose between Frangieh or Aoun
Tough and agonizing choice my friend
28 March 2014, 09:17
33
wow 3an jad? statesman? aoun,frangieh really? flame habibi you really must set greater personal goals for yourself, baby steps ya zgir come on you can do it..:)
27 March 2014, 23:12
712
Le patriot - "bashar el Assad is my friend" -slieman franjieh...... Enough said.
His friend is a butcher.. Now go get me 1 kilo kafta 3al sari3
27 March 2014, 23:37
43
Full disclosure
you are so right in your above comment. Frangieh's election was the beginning of the end...
However If chehab were elected instead he would have postponed the war not eliminate it as Lebanon's destruction was an Israeli plot in its long plan to weaken the arab states. We were an important international financial hub, we got destroyed, next Iraq which also fell in the same trap and now Syria. with these 3 arab countries destroyed Israel has finally reached its long term goal which is being surrounded by small divided and weak arab states
27 March 2014, 23:38
42
next will be the division of Jordan where Israel will force all the Palestinians to move to thus creating a Palestinian state while it absorbs what is left of Palestine
this has been the Zionist's plan for 1 century and it is at its final stage of accomplishment
what are the arabs doing? as usual nothing
28 March 2014, 00:31
55
"allied to a terrorist group fighting to preserve bachar's presidency"?
yes terrorists... but you are too stupid to see it... the use of only one neurone is not enough to be smart....
28 March 2014, 00:36
44
geagea was never my idol, but if it makes you happy to say it be my guest, i know you do not need much to be happy...
second i am not justifying -unlike you with you M8 idols poor thing- geagea actions, but only reminding you that those you support also did the same things... but for you they are "statesmen" or "patriots"!
LOL
28 March 2014, 00:38
123
When Franjiehs family got slaughtered in the Ehden Massacre, by the zionist phalangists. The Assad family took him in, and protected him. Any sane person would consider people whom saved them, to be their friends and brothers etc.
28 March 2014, 00:46
73
The night Samir Geagea massacred Frangieh's family? You wish Suleiman Frangieh was slaughtered too? You're a sick terrorist.
28 March 2014, 03:48
64
So you admit that Geagea is a mass murderer? Good that you finally realized that.
28 March 2014, 02:55
83
Did Mr. Geagea tell you that story, after he murdered the Franjieh family?
28 March 2014, 04:26
34
Abou tony ahla boss. These people who comment with such hate, you are all very weak.
28 March 2014, 09:00
51
wow i should ask my bos to slap me around in public, that'll teach me to be more loyal..nothing like positive re-enforcement..reminding them they are and will always be beneath him..
28 March 2014, 07:40
53
they should make it a requirement for any presidential candidate to be literate and can read and write at least in one language.
28 March 2014, 09:27
31
lol am sure you are forgiven. they are not the only choices so don't feel confused LF..
28 March 2014, 16:00
00
These guys think that the Lebanese Presidency is their birthright, being the ziam of the Maronites. As a Maronite myself, I can say freely that Lebanon has been crippled by limiting this office to my co-confessionalists. If preserved for Christians, why not allow any Christian serve. The greatest political leader of our time, Charles Malek could not serve as President because he was not Maronite. This is the absurdity of the current "unwritten rules".
28 March 2014, 16:02
00
And here is another. Aoun will never become president, not because Hariri and the Sunni do not want him, but because Hezbollah cannot tolerate a Christian president with a political base in Parliament. Hezbollah is not interested in creating or seeing created competing power bases within the Lebanese system and a politician such as Aoun would present such a competing power source. Geagea to a lesser extent, Frangieh to an even lesser and Dori Chamoun, even less. of course at the bottom of the pile is Mr. Salame, the President of the Bank of Lebanon who has no political base.
