Geagea: March 8 Elections Boycott Aimed at Imposing its Candidate over Others
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused on Wednesday the March 8 alliance of seeking to impose its candidate over others, slamming its demand for the election of a consensual president.
He said during a press conference after the failure of the third round of the presidential elections: “The boycott of the session is not aimed at the election of a consensual president, but it has the objective to impose a candidate over others.”
Moreover, he noted that the alliance is seeking the election of a candidate that would serve its interests, not those of Lebanon.
He criticized the alliance's boycott of the session, deeming it as unconstitutional.
Very few extraordinary conditions permit a boycott, none of which exist at the moment, Geagea said.
“Quorum at parliament is needed to organize the presidential elections, not obstruct it,” noted the presidential hopeful.
“Christians sense that there is a conspiracy being devised over their role in Lebanon, under the pretext of quorum and at other times under the pretext of electing a consensual president,” said that LF chief.
“The March 8 camp has never really adopted the concept of consensuality,” he remarked.
Failure to elect a president will further alienate Christians from the state, Geagea added.
He therefore urged religious authorities, especially the Maronite Patriarchate, to obligate all lawmakers, most notably Christian ones, to exercise their duties and elect a president.
Blackmailing the constitution will only leave Lebanon vulnerable and weak, he declared.
Furthermore, Geagea renewed his call on the March 8 camp to announce its presidential candidate, in order for the elections to be staged in a democratic manner.
Parliament failed on Wednesday for the third week in a row to elect a new president over differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances, more than two weeks before the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's tenure.
Speaker Nabih Berri set May 15 as a new round of voting after the March 8 lawmakers again boycotted the elections.
March 8 MPs and mainly members of MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc stressed that the elections would be held only if they became “serious.”
Aoun has repeatedly said that he would not announce his candidacy if there was no consensus on him.
“There wouldn't have been any boycott if the presidential elections were serious,” MP Nabil Nicolas said.
March 14 MPs slammed this stance, warning that it may lead Lebanon to vacuum.
M.T.
G.K.
07 May 2014, 14:30
82
Mr geagea
just add to your presidential plan financial transperancy
tell the public how much money you have and from where you got them
and apply ( min ayna laka haza}
and all descent Lebanese will back you up and you ll be president in no time
07 May 2014, 14:55
42
But but ya FT, he wasn't alone to Tango, there was strangely enough another fellow who coupled his moves, and that man is also known as, General, ma heyk khaye?
07 May 2014, 15:06
25
With M8's failure to present a candidate and respect the constitution and electoral deadline, you should simply shut up and accept the situation.
M14 is not the one boycotting the elections.
And if you're still in the Geagea vs. Aoun mentality and believe one is better than the other, please die. This country needs to move on and the only thing holding us back is the likes of you !
07 May 2014, 15:35
25
Bend Over ? You must be confusing me with your Ex-General Aoun ... I hear he's getting fitter these days and has bent in every single direction for every single politician !
Again, if you have nothing to say other than lies, shut up.
07 May 2014, 23:41
11
Will you be burning that tyre FT ?
Which lie would you like me to refute ? The one where you don't have the first clue what Mustaqbal or M14 want ? The lie of me supporting Geagea for presidency ?
Or should I refute Aoun's lies and expose his total lack of integrity ? M8's total lack of vision for Lebanon and complete incompetence in real politics.
The only suicidal people here are those that cling to the past.
I have moved on from Aoun and Geagea... you still live in the past.
You and I both know neither Aoun or Geagea will ever be elected. It's a power play and M14 has a lineup of candidates when M8 has NONE ! Geagea is M14's way of playing the game and M8 is simply too incompetent to play. So they BLOCK EVERYTHING ! It's negotiations and all you're doing is blackmail and threats !
If M8 is so great, then it must have an great candidate. Where is he ?
07 May 2014, 15:17
54
Phoenix
everyone who shared power with the Syrian occupation should not be in power nowdays every single one in politics and in public service positions
07 May 2014, 16:19
00
Flamethrower: I am sorry i can not help it anymore. I have been reading your comments for the past month, nothing smart has ever come out of your mouth. All you have to say is criminal this and criminal that. My friend I dunno if your smart enough to know about rules of war, but they are kill or be killed. If you think geagea is a criminal than all your masters are criminals. so please do us all a favor, if you have something to say please think about it first. We are not telling you not to express your opinion, We have freedom of speech, but please let it make sense. Thank you
07 May 2014, 17:18
22
So mm let me see m8s logic.
- attend first round and give blanks
-boycott second round - why? Bcoz there isn't concensus on one candidate and they really hate the m14 candidate .
-boycott third round - why ? Same reason as above. Yet, they haven't even fielded theirs...
So from what I can see m8 are crying bcos they don't want the m14 candidate they just want the person they choose to become Brezident, then the actual voting becomes a meaningless charade
07 May 2014, 17:31
22
Mr. Geagea....sadely it seems it is their privilege....live with it
07 May 2014, 18:29
21
Here are your options in a DEMOCRACY:
1. If you don't want to vote for a candidate, then you can vote for someone else
2. There are 2 candidates at this time, they can vote for Helou if they don't wish to vote for Geagea
3. There is no excuse for M8 not fielding a candidate.
4. Disliking your political opponent is not a valid reason for not having your own candidate.
5. This is not Iran where only the ayatollahs can approve candidates. You cannot veto your political opponents candidates.
6. Blocking quorum is not democratic.
7. Not fielding a candidate is not democratic
8. Veto-ing your political opponent's candidate is not democratic
9. Having ZERO political platform is not democratic
10. Attempting to "select" a consensual president prior to a vote is not democratic
11. Even Syria, the model of presidential democracy, has given up on having only one pre-determined candidate. So stop trying to force that upon us
07 May 2014, 20:24
00
"Life is thickly sown with thorns , and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them . The longer we dwell on our misfortunes , the greater is their power to harm us." Lebanon's misfortune is having 2 different societies one is living in the next century, while the other is still believing that planet earth is flat.....
