Geagea Says to Stay in Race 'until the End' Regardless of Aoun's Nomination
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed Thursday that he will stay in the presidential race “until the end” regardless of the candidacy of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.
“I will carry on with my nomination until the end and this has nothing to do with General Aoun's candidacy,” Geagea told LBCI television, during a weekly show dedicated to interviewing the major presidential hopefuls.
Reminiscing the 2005 period, Geagea said he “seriously thought of nominating Aoun for the presidency in 2005, because he was the only candidate back then.”
“But that was rejected by the LF's top officials,” he added.
Commenting on the controversy over his nomination, Geagea said: “My past is not absurd, my past is part of Lebanon's past. Some parties want to launch unjust accusations against me and I had apologized because war is ugly, regardless of its form.”
“Unfortunately, no one wants to remember that everyone took part in the war. They only want to remember Samir Geagea, who was the last to join the war and the first to leave it,” he added, referring to ballots cast by some MPs during Wednesday's presidential vote, which carried names of victims of murders Geagea is accused of having orchestrated during the 1975-1990 civil war.
“I do not claim that no mistakes had occurred during the war and I had apologized over these mistakes. I apologize again and again but let no one accuse me of 'crucifying Jesus' or inventing the war,” said Geagea.
Asked about Wednesday's vote, he added: “The main thing I felt while watching yesterday's session was the fact that Lebanese MPs were voting for a president through their free will. I also felt appalled and disgusted at those who exploited worthless judicial verdicts that had been issued during the Syrian occupation era.”
“Nine years after the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, I regret to say that some parties are still emulating it,” Geagea lamented.
Asked about the fact that some March 14 MPs did not attend the voting session and that others did not vote for him, Geagea said: “An MP told me that there is a great friendship between him and MP (Henri) Helou and that he would vote for him in the first round. However, during the serious sessions, (ex-PM Saad) Hariri, (MP) Oqab Saqr and others will all attend.”
“I'm afraid that the other camp will not attend the second round of voting on a new president. They are telling us 'you either vote for our candidate or we won't attend',” Geagea said, referring to the second round of voting that be held on April 30.
“We in March 14 and the LF have a project to build a state. Never before has a president come and proposed a clear program with such controversial topics. There is a need to make a landmark shift in Lebanon through a presidential program,” said Geagea.
Addressing Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, who has nominated MP Helou for the presidency, Geagea said: “I tell Walid Beik that he played a central role in Lebanon between 2005 and 2010 and all his struggle was for the sake of reaching a strong state."
"I have nominated myself to continue the project that he wants. The Druze, the Christians and all Lebanese have no alternative other than a strong state that belongs to everyone. I advise him to seek this solution through his vote," he added.
Asked whether a certain party or state had demanded that he nominate himself, Geagea said: “No one asked me to nominate myself and what pushed me to seriously mull this option is the fact that the situation in Lebanon has become intolerable.”
Commenting on the issue of the Syrian refugee crisis, Geagea said “a decision must be taken to stop taking in more Syrian refugees.”
“I'm willing to engage in dialogue with Hizbullah, but dialogue must happen in the form of an official meeting between the president, the ministers of defense and interior, and Hizbullah's officials. We would tell them it is unacceptable to start any war and that the decision must be in the hand of the state,” he added, when asked about Hizbullah's controversial arsenal of weapons.
Y.R.
Source: Naharnet
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