Franjieh: Kordahi Offered to Resign but I Refused, Lebanese in Gulf 'Not Refugees'

Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh on Saturday defended Information Minister Georges Kordahi after KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain expelled the Lebanese ambassadors in protest at his remarks over the Yemen war.

"Minister Kordahi's remarks reflected his opinion 20 days before he knew he'd become minister. He has proposed to me that he offer his resignation from Bkirki or Baabda, but I refused because he did not make a mistake,” Franjieh said, after talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.

“I did not name Georges Kordahi to offer him as a sacrifice to anyone,” Franjieh added, noting that his movement will not name a successor to Kordahi if he resigns or gets forced to quit. He however pointed out that he would respect Kordahi’s final decision.

“Our (positive) stance on Saudi Arabia and the UAE is clear and it stems from a conviction,” he noted, while stressing that his Movement does not “deal with inferiority with anyone.”

“We tell those saying that the Lebanese people will bear the impact of Kordahi’s statement that they are exaggerating,” Franjieh added.

“We’ve seen an adulation party for the past two days but we don’t belong to those who run after positions, seeing as we want to leave dignity to our children,” he went on to say.

Noting that “Lebanese expats give foreign countries more than what they take,” Franjieh stressed that the Lebanese in the Gulf “are not refugees.”

Asked about his chances of becoming president after Kordahi’s remarks, the Marada leader said: “What Georges Kordahi said is nothing compared to what the incumbent presidents has said about Saudi Arabia, petrodollar and other issues.”