Geagea Demands Govt. Session to Put Immediate Stop to Hizbullah Fighting in Syria
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned on Tuesday Hizbullah's fighting in Syria alongside the Syrian regime, accusing the party of violating the Baabda Declaration that calls for Lebanon to distance itself from regional crises.
He said during a press conference: “The government must hold a session to put an immediate stop to Hizbullah's fighting in Syria.
He explained that the government, despite its caretaking role, is obligated to address the country's national interests, especially when Hizbullah's actions are threatening to drag Lebanon towards the Syrian crisis.
Moreover, he said that Iran is employing Hizbullah in order to defend its expansionist ambitions in the region.
He added: “Iran has taken a strategic decision to fight for the survival of the Syrian regime at the expense of the life of the last Hizbullah fighter.”
“Where is the Lebanese state's position on Hizbullah's involvement and some Lebanese calls for jihad in Syria?” he wondered.
Commenting on Hizbullah demands that the fighters killed in Syria should be recognized as martyrs, Geagea asked: “What about those killed in Akkar and Tripoli? Who tasked the party to defend the Syrian regime and for what purpose?”
He then justified his decision to boycott the national dialogue sessions over the past year seeing as the Baabda Declaration, which was adopted during a session in June, has since been violated by Hizbullah, which itself was present at that round of talks.
On Monday, Hizbullah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq has said the party's fighters had a moral and nationalistic duty to protect Lebanese citizens from rebels in villages and towns on the Syrian-Lebanese border.
“What Hizbullah is doing regarding this issue is a nationalistic and moral duty in protecting the Lebanese in border villages,” Qaouq, who is the deputy head of the party's executive council, said.
Addressing the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Geagea suggested the formation of buffer zones with Syrian border regions that can harbor the displaced.
These zone should be set up in border areas in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey and should be protected by international forces that may allow the refugees to live in peace and dignity, he proposed.
On the efforts to form a new government, Geagea stressed that the new cabinet should be tasked with overseeing the parliamentary elections.
He urged the need to keep the government formation efforts away from discussions on the political distribution of portfolios, which includes the March 14 camp.
“How can the other camp accuse us of seeking to form a one-sided cabinet if we are willing to exclude ourselves from it for the sake of staging the elections?” he asked.
“The new government should be judged according to its policy statement, not the identity of its members,” he stressed.
He therefore suggested that President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam come up with a government lineup, which they will then present to the political power who in turn will subject it to a vote of confidence.
In addition, Geagea said: “The new policy statement should not include the phrase the army, people, and resistance, but army, people, and Hizbullah because the resistance no longer exists.”
Commenting on the ongoing discussions over a parliamentary electoral law, Geagea remarked that it had emerged in recent weeks that all parties are in agreement over the hybrid law.
The main dispute remains over the details of the law, he added.
He then suggested that various versions of the law be subject to a vote at parliament and the version with the most votes be adopted in the elections.
“We must accept democracy in all its forms if we are seeking to hold the elections,” he explained.
Rival lawmakers failed on Tuesday to reach an agreement on a hybrid electoral draft-law after they accused each other of obstructing attempts to achieve consensus on a system that would replace the 1960 law.
The hybrid law combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.
“There is no longer any need for the subcommittee to continue its meetings. But this doesn't stop the members from continuing consultations among themselves,” MP Robert Ghanem, the chairman of a parliamentary subcommittee, said.
The MPs, who represent the major political parties in the subcommittee, had been tasked with agreeing on a new law that would replace the 1960 law that considers the qada an electoral district and is based on the winner-takes-all system.
Speaker Nabih Berri had given the subcommittee until May 15 to agree on a new law before calling for a legislative session to reach a breakthrough.
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23 April 2013, 17:09
Geagea: We must accept democracy in all its forms if we are seeking to hold the elections.
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23 April 2013, 17:09
Geagea: I suggest that the hybrid law and its various articles be subject to a vote at parliament. We are not left with any other solution to this issue.
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23 April 2013, 17:08
Geagea: In recent weeks, it has emerged that all of the powers advocate the hybrid law, but the main differences remain over the details of the proposal.
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23 April 2013, 17:06
Geagea on parliamentary electoral law discussions: The elections should be held on time.
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23 April 2013, 17:06
Geagea: I urge President Suleiman and PM-designate Salam to come up with a government lineup, which would then be subject to a vote of confidence.
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23 April 2013, 17:05
Geagea: For once, let a new government be formed away from political interests.
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23 April 2013, 17:04
Geagea: How can a government be formed if each political faction is seeking its own interests?
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23 April 2013, 17:03
Geagea: The new policy statement should not include the phrase the army, people, and resistance, but army, people, and Hizbullah because the resistance no longer exists.
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23 April 2013, 17:03
Geagea: New governments, especially this one, should be formed by the prime minister and president and then presented before political powers.
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23 April 2013, 17:01
Geagea: The new government should be judged according to its policy statement and not the identity of its members.
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23 April 2013, 17:00
Geagea: We explained that the new government should not be comprised of political factions. This demand also includes the March 14 forces. So how can this cabinet be one-sided if even we are not represented in it?
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23 April 2013, 16:59
Geagea: As soon as we made this call, the other camp came up with the demand that the new cabinet should not be one-sided.
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23 April 2013, 16:58
Geagea on government formation efforts: The new cabinet should be tasked with overseeing the elections.
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23 April 2013, 16:57
Geagea: This issue can only be tackled through setting up these zones in Syrian border areas.
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23 April 2013, 16:57
Geagea: An international force should be tasked with ensuring the security of these buffer zones where the Syrian refugees would be allowed to live in peace and dignity.
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23 April 2013, 16:56
Geagea: The caretaker government needs to take an effective decision over the Syrian refugees through setting up international buffer zones along the Turkish, Lebanese, and Jordanian borders similar to previous conflicts that had taken place in the past in different parts of the world.
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23 April 2013, 16:53
Geagea on the Syrian refugees in Lebanon: This issue should be tackled in a serious official manner.
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23 April 2013, 16:52
Geagea: Almost a year later, what has happened with Hizbullah's commitment to the Baabda Declaration? Look at what has happened with dialogue and the policy of disassociation.
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23 April 2013, 16:51
Geagea: Was not Hizbullah part of the national dialogue held in June and which adopted the Baabda Declaration?
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23 April 2013, 16:49
Geagea on Hizbullah demands that the fighters killed in Syria should be recognized as martyrs: What about those killed in Akkar and Tripoli? Who tasked the party to defend the Syrian regime and for what purpose?
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23 April 2013, 16:48
Geagea: The Lebanese people are caught in the middle of Hizbullah's fighting and the calls for jihad.
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23 April 2013, 16:47
Geagea: The government, even in its caretaking role, is obligated to take action over this matter in demanding that Hizbullah cease its fighting in Syria and that jihadist calls be halted in line with its policy of disassociation.
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23 April 2013, 16:44
Geagea: Where is the Lebanese state's position on Hizbullah's involvement and the Lebanese calls for jihad in Syria?
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23 April 2013, 16:42
Geagea: The Syrian National Coalition has long taken balanced decisions on Syria and Lebanon.
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23 April 2013, 16:41
Geagea: Iran has taken a strategic decision to fight for the survival of the Syrian regime at the expense of the life of the last Hizbullah fighter.
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23 April 2013, 16:40
Geagea: Iran considers that collapse of the Syrian regime is tantamount to the collapse of its ambitions to expand its power in the region.
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23 April 2013, 16:40
Geagea: Assuming that Hizbullah is not defending Lebanese border areas, how can it justify the presence of its members in Damascus and its outskirts?
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23 April 2013, 16:39
Geagea: Hizbullah's allegations over the crisis are just an excuse to justify its involvement in the conflict.
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23 April 2013, 16:36
Geagea rejected Hizbullah claims that members of the party were involved in the fighting out of self-defense.
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23 April 2013, 16:35
Geagea: The extent of Hizbullah's involvement increased in recent weeks and revealed a strategic aspect to its fighting.
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23 April 2013, 16:33
LF leader Samir Geagea on Syrian crisis during press conference: At the start of the conflict, the extent of Hizbullah and other Lebanese fighters' involvement was not clear.
23 April 2013, 17:00
124
who gave u a dime and told u to speak ...sticking ur nose where it does not belong..kell ma wa7ad 3ndu kelme ..they say 7zib...go reread ur history and what u did and what ur doing ..ufff
23 April 2013, 19:23
35
Clearly anyone speaking the truth these days for the benefit of Lebanon is a target for stupid m8.
this is a clear breach of the baabda declaration and hizbshaitan should be held accountable for all the bad things they are bringing upon all the Lebanese people to serve their Iranian masters.
23 April 2013, 20:24
25
He said during a press conference: “The government must hold a session to put an immediate stop to Hizbullah's fighting in Syria.
that is the point of why they resigned to cover their derrier duhh!
24 April 2013, 01:24
20
this one is specifically for flamer boy and mowaten. make sure you listen to the end. god bless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WShCnc7k6Ek
24 April 2013, 02:56
20
I did dandoun. I gave him a quarter and asked him to speak. What he said does express my views most of the time, even though I did not participate in the civil war and did not kill anyone. I just agree with his views on today's issues, and so do many thousands like me.
24 April 2013, 08:29
02
am sure ur quarter was not shiny enough heli..give him another...everyone has a view and what the see is right...but i think, before anyone can point a finger to make sure there hands r clean
23 April 2013, 17:03
310
That ladies and gentlemen is what a government is supposed to do without breaking a sweat. Everything he just stated should be the minimum expectation of a government of the people for the people. LEBANESE people that is and not a foreign allegiance.
23 April 2013, 19:00
25
get a hold of yourself FT. You sound more and more desperate by the day. It was expected once your FPM were exposed for what they are. Self serving theives that played the reform card well with no intention of reform. Everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame at some point in their life and your FPM's 15 minutes are up. hasta la vista, baby!
23 April 2013, 19:49
24
ok FT go with that in the upcoming elections. If that is the case then you should sweep it. Nothing to worry about :) good luck
23 April 2013, 19:59
23
M11er- I wonder who is supplying those ships with the fuel? I would be willing my right arm against $1 from FT that the thief in law is getting a kickback from them. I will also bet my other arm against $1 with FT that the theif in law got a massive kickback from the boat company. Who are they kidding? every project goes to the highest bidder and they expect us to beleive they are reforming? what a joke!
23 April 2013, 20:40
23
flamer boy wow your characters before and after your name do not match. how many times have you been kicked off naharnet. but beggers keep coming back. mish heik? hahahah
23 April 2013, 21:50
32
You keep referring to that magical power grid that provides power. Do YOU live in lebanon?
24 April 2013, 10:15
10
the only person that should be in prison is your demented general who left is men to be slaughtered.by the syrians.
23 April 2013, 17:33
29
Dadoun, he has every right to speak, he is the head of a political party and last I checked Lebanon was still a democracy (even if it's bad) so people vote for the LF and he has the right to talk! U can't shut him up by saying boohoo look at the past - people learn and grow from the past and move on!
23 April 2013, 18:00
44
Hey guys I hope you can give me some advice :) I am thinking about coming to Lebanon this summer but I am not sure whether something dangerous might happen soon :/ I have never lived in Lebanon so I can't estimate how the situation will become :/ what do you think ?
23 April 2013, 19:09
27
right. It's the salafists that handle car disputes with bombs. It's the salafists that tried to put a bomb in a government official's elevator and were caught red handed. It was salafists that are indicted by the STL. It is salafists that shot an inocent by stander on their way to syria. how many politicians were assasinated the day after they arrived in Lebanon through our airport that is controlled by salafists? yeah, it's the salafists he has to worry about for sure!
24 April 2013, 03:09
11
I think Itikell a3la allah and go. You never know and now one know when things happen and when they don't. Summer of 2006 seemed like the safest of all summers and then hell breaks loose at 5am out of nowhere. Other summers there seemed like multitude of troubles on the horizon and nothing happened (Naher Le-Bared, Vacuum in the Presidency, Occupied downtown, and so on)
23 April 2013, 18:15
52
Ya geagea you should be the intermediary between aoun and M14 trying to find common ground on election law instead of criticising emptily how things should be. We all know how things should be. but what about doing some value added for once and do the intermediary role? why does jumby do that and reinforce druze position all the time while u are always criticising emptily?
23 April 2013, 18:46
23
disassociation policy huh? hezbis just don t care like they don t even care about the lebanese laws...
24 April 2013, 00:14
21
In the civil war there was no legitimate force on the ground. The army split and in a sense became another militia.
24 April 2013, 01:29
42
How cute, a Saudi puppet barking on behalf of his masters. Ok Geagea, now roll over! Down boy!
24 April 2013, 05:27
31
you really have positive thinking :)
do you seriously think he will grow up? and if he does, what will he turn into? :)
24 April 2013, 07:33
10
Nice to see you re becoming more and more delusional and desperate, FT. I have only ever seen Lebanonfirst write thoughtful and balanced comments where his interest for the country comes before sect - that's his allegiance. You re desperate because you ve resorted to insulting him rather than acknowledging clear facts.
I might be Lebanese Canadian but I can take a balanced enough view to say that the article on the Iranian Alqaeda link is silly. Can you look past your blind loyalty to Aoun and each of his words for a minute, maybe just long enough to see that HA is dragging the country into a war.
