Geagea Says Inter-Maronite Dialogue Leads to Openness to Other 'Partners'

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said Monday that openness to the country's other confessions can only come through talks among Maronite leaders.

“The historic Maronite principles impose on us the right stance, which is openness to our partners from all sects and factions in the nation,” said Geagea in a statement.

“This can only happen through dialogue within the Maronite house,” he said.

Officials from the LF and their rivals from Free Patriotic Movement have been holding talks to set a meeting between Geagea and FPM chief MP Michel Aoun.

Both are presidential candidates and their rivalry is partly to be blamed for the failure to elect a successor to President Michel Suleiman whose term ended in May last year.

In his statement, Geagea called for “holding onto the Maronite church's civilized policies by preserving the spirituality of Saint Maroun.”

“This church, which maintained the presence of Christians in the Orient, cannot but back moderation and dialogue to confront the wave of takfiris, terrorism and extremism that is invading the region,” he said.

The LF chief sent his greetings to the Lebanese in general and Maronites in particular on Saint Maroun Day which was an official holiday in Lebanon on Monday.

G.K.

H.K.