Geagea Urges March 8 Camp to Choose Candidate to Ensure Success of Wednesday's Polls
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Monday the March 8 camp for submitting blank ballots during last week's presidential elections, which he said resulted in the obstruction of the polls.
He slammed the tactics as hindering democracy, urging the camp “to choose a presidential candidate to ensure the success of Wednesday's presidential election at parliament.”
“I held this press conference after it became clear to me that the camp will once again resort to submitting blank votes, which will consequently result in the failure to elect a president,” he remarked.
Turning to the March 8 camp, Geagea warned: “Persisting with such practices will jeopardize the elections and lead us to vacuum.”
“We must respect laws that demand the election of a president, not the creation of vacuum,” he demanded.
“Worse than vacuum is having regional and international powers pressure Lebanon to elect a president that reflects the balance of power in the region, not one who seeks the country's interests,” Geagea stated.
Moreover, he warned against obstructing quorum during Wednesday's electoral session, saying that quorum is needed to ensure that the polls are held and “this factor should not be abused to hinder democracy.”
Geagea, a presidential candidate, received the vote of 48 out of 124 MPs during the first round of the elections that was held on Wednesday.
A candidate needed 86 votes to emerge victorious in the first round.
Democratic Gathering MP Henri Helou received 16 votes, while 52 lawmakers cast blank ballots.
The second round of the elections will be held on Wednesday with a candidate needing 65 votes to be elected president.
M.T.
G.K.
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