Geagea: We Will Not Acquiesce to Settlement over Presidential Elections
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hailed on Wednesday the March 14 camp on the success of the first round of the presidential elections, saying that it restored dignity to the polls after years of foreign meddling.
He remarked: “We will not acquiesce to a settlement over the presidential elections and we will continue with the democratic process until the end.”
He made his statement after parliament held the first round of the elections in which he is a candidate.
He received the vote of 48 MPs, while 16 lawmakers voted for Aley lawmaker Henri Helou, one for Kataeb Party chief ex-President Amin Gemayel, and 52 cast blank ballots.
Discarded votes included names of victims of the Lebanese Civil War.
“We will not return to old habits of choosing a president behind closed doors and through foreign interference,” added Geagea in reference to Syria's influence over the elections in the past.
“We will continue with the electoral process to the end and until a Lebanese-elected president is chosen,” he vowed.
Asked about the names of civil war martyrs that were cast, the LF chief replied: “I was hoping that the other camp would have resorted to honorable means to express its disdain for the elections.”
He criticized the manner in which the other camp “threw about the names of the victims,” accusing the March 8 alliance of seeking to obstruct and tarnish the electoral process in order to pave the way for foreign meddling in the polls.
On claims that he is a confrontational presidential candidate, Geagea asked: “Do they want a president who does not have a presidential program? Don't they want a president who has answers to Lebanon's problems?”
“We will cooperate with whichever president is elected as long as he is chosen through democratic means,” he added.
The Christian leader, along with several other March 14 officials and reporters, had followed up the parliamentary session from his residence in Maarab.
Earlier on Wednesday, Geagea expressed regret that the March 8 alliance didn't name a candidate for the presidential elections, describing the electoral process as “normal.”
“For the first time in many years the presidential elections are serious and made in Lebanon,” he told reporters.
He pointed out that “the rival party has no choice but to deal with the matter seriously.”
The first round of the elections failed to elect a new president amid disputes over the name of the new head of state, which threatens a vacuum at the helm of the country's most important Christian post.
Parliamentary blocs will vote for two candidates - Geagea and the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc member, MP Henri Helou.
A candidate needed to secure 86 votes of the 128-member parliament during the first round to be named president.
A second round of elections will be held on April 30, where a candidate will need 65 votes to claim victory.
H.K./M.T.
G.K.
23 April 2014, 12:11
79
Respect Mr Geagea. Through your methods you have clearly raised the bar in Lebanese politics. As I have said over and over regardless of the outcome the benchmark is now set in Lebanese politics to at least show an announce of respect to our beloved country in treating the presidential post with due respect. God bless you sir.
23 April 2014, 12:18
99
slash, that Aoun tried to fight the Syrians and fled at the end to save his own life is not in dispute. But to compare one act to the many many crimes Geagea has committed against Christian, Muslim and Druze is ludicrous. Furthermore, while is disliked by his opponents I do not think his election would cause even 1% of the outrage and anger the election of Geagea would. Its possible you underestimate the hate he engenders in so much of the Lebanese population; So much so that his election would very much endanger the country and any future it may have.
23 April 2014, 12:39
146
Ziad, although one can sense that the sabotaging process of Lebanon remains in full force, yet, today since it seems that we are entering another period of stagnation and endless dead-ends, we may well end up having no other choices but either accept that neither Geagea nor Aoun stand much chance at being elected, hence, either we opt for other potential candidates like Demyanos Kattar, or Ziad Baroud, or end up having another military top brass take over the reins of power. The word deadlock is now written all over the wall, and I wonder if our economy could sustain one more blow.
24 April 2014, 00:12
33
Ziad the civil war is behind us and both arguments are null and void and evidentially have no place in the scope of modern day lebanon. All sides experienced death torture and displacement. If we persist in going down this path yet again each and every za3im should serve time in prison. To simply tow the M8 line of one crime was worse than the other clearly holds little credibility. If however we truely want to move forward we must embrace our future and act with dignity to ensure those past deaths were not in vain. Sadly however it has been proven that M8 through their empty words and dishonourable methods care little about our future and more about their self interests.
24 April 2014, 00:29
11
forces, as I said above, you severely underestimate the hate there is for this man in the country.
Those that feel this do not do so because he was a zaim in the civil war or because he is as guilty of torture or death. They do so because his crimes were far more brutal and far more vicious than any other zaim. You may not agree. You may feel its time to let the past be in the past.
That is unfortunately irrelevant.
What is relevant is how a good many Lebanese feel about him. You may see this as 'toeing the m8 line; but that is also irrelevant as it does not change the way people feel about him and would not change even if m8 accepted him
24 April 2014, 12:26
00
Mama Al Fanik Maarouf, this is a handkerchief to wipe off your sweat, you're trying very hard now, for lack of intelligence.
23 April 2014, 13:08
614
Every MP who voted with a blank (white paper) voted for vacuum. Aoun and his allies had every chance to show the civilized world their commitment to the democratic process, but they failed miserably. Aoun admitted in a press conference following the first round, he boycotted the second round and thus no quorum.
23 April 2014, 13:33
157
1 vote for Rashid Karami
5 votes for Danny Chamoun
1 vote for Tony Franghiyie
23 April 2014, 14:22
67
I forgot to mention:
May The Palestinians Never Have A Country.
23 April 2014, 15:16
87
the_roar the only ones wanting war is your M8 there the only ones fighting and killing...and as for what i said before and was removed Geagea was the only one was faced his accusers and served Time in Jail so all you Aounist shut up....
Long Live The Syrian Civil War!
23 April 2014, 15:35
45
Geagea has accomplished his purpose. Rather than cancellation after cancellation of the Presidential vote, there was a vote. There is no disgrace in not accumulating the necessary vote to win. No one expected Geagea to pull 82 votes required in a first vote. But the process was vindicated and now in the second round, a simply majority of 62 of the 124 seats, 4 are apparently vacant. The process, which was dead, is now alive and a Lebanese choice is now possible. Geagea's mission is accomplished.
23 April 2014, 15:39
37
Expect Hezbollah to vote for Aoun as long as Aoun cannot get to 62 votes, and of course, he cannot. He is as polarizing a political figure as Geagea. This has been known and the vote in Parliament has established the fact. 48 for Geagea 50 for Aoun, neither get to 82 or even 62. It will take a Maronite who is a consensus builder, a bridge builder who has the confidence of all sides. Iran will not have much interest in the outcome as is position in Lebanon has solidified with the reach Hezbollah now has in the country.
23 April 2014, 16:47
60
Yes he will. With an iron fist at it too. Which I don't mind. That's the only way we understand.
23 April 2014, 20:13
56
texas hence why berri didnt dare to call for a second round because it was possible for march 14 to also vote for helou and spite march 8! junblat is one smart politician!
24 April 2014, 00:28
25
Roar once again your assessment falls short of it's mark. White papers = pressure. Having a unified M 14 means M 8 must now nominate an acceptable made in lebanon candidate one of M14's approval if they want any chance of securing their man. Unless of course a car bomb should accidentally explode.
24 April 2014, 00:54
36
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him ,is no godly being...
In view of ur ignorance, please refrain from speaking about our prophet.
