Franjieh Rejects Extension of Suleiman's Term, Says he and Aoun are Candidates
Marada movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh vowed on Thursday not to extend President Michel Suleiman's term and said he was a candidate for the presidency along with Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun.
In remarks to al-Manar TV, Franjieh said: “I will not back the extension of President Michel Suleiman's mandate no matter what my allies did.”
Franjieh accused the president of being part of the conflict between the March 8 and 14 alliances. He's not a centrist, he said.
The MP warned that the president was throwing the country into an abyss.
“Any cabinet that strikes the plans of the resistance or the Taef Accord would lead to a problem,” he warned.
Franjieh sounded the alarm bell if the cabinet was formed in a “wrong way.”
His remarks came amid a similar warning made by Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Thursday after Suleiman hinted that he would form a fait accompli cabinet over the failure of the rivals to reach an agreement.
Qassem lashed out at proposals to form a neutral cabinet, saying such a government would spread “chaos, danger and complications.”
Hizbullah is calling for the formation of an all-embracing cabinet in which the March 8 and 14 alliances would get nine ministers each and centrists six.
But March 14 is rejecting such a formula, calling for a neutral cabinet.
Franjieh also told al-Manar that he was a candidate for the presidency along with Aoun.
But he stressed “our team should agree on a candidate.”
No one has yet officially announced his candidacy as Suleiman's mandate expires in May 2014.
The Constitution says the parliament should start meeting on March 25 to elect a new head of state.
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