Berri: Franjieh can be president who would talk to Syria, tackle defense strategy
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday defended the Shiite Duo’s nomination of Suleiman Franjieh for the president post.
In a meeting with a delegation from the Press Syndicate and the Press Editors Syndicate, Berri reminded that Franjieh had also been a candidate “when the term of president Emile Lahoud was extended.”
“Wasn’t he nominated by (then-U.S.) Ambassador David Hale? Wasn’t he a candidate when General Michel Aoun was nominated?” Berri added.
He also reminded that Franjieh was one of the top four Christian leaders who met in Bkirki in 2011 after which it was agreed to elect one of them as president.
“What do we want from a president? We need a president who would talk to Syria over the issue of border demarcation and resolving the refugee crisis, because if we want to rely on the Europeans and Americans, they don’t care at all about this issue. We want a president who would be able to tackle the defense strategy and who believes in the Taif Accord, and based on all of this we have nominated Mr. Suleiman Franjieh,” Berri added.
As for his meeting with the Saudi ambassador earlier in the day, Berri noted that there had been “communication” prior to the meeting and that it would continue.
“Several meetings were held prior to this meeting,” he pointed out.
He added: “The political solution begins with the presidency and Suleiman Franjieh has extended his hand to everyone and has reconciled with everyone. If Suleiman Franjieh is not unifying, who else can be?”
And noting that “there can be no salvation for Lebanon without a civil state,” Berri lashed out at “the voices calling for partitioning and federalism under the veiled slogans of broad administrative and financial decentralization.”
“Lebanon is like an atom: if partitioned it would blow up,” Berri warned.
13 March 2023, 17:33
05
Enough stupid talk assuming Lebanese are dumb. Free Lebanese should plan for Cedar Revolution II and the phase after the country is split. Everyone in power since 2019 is responsible for wasting $20 billion reserve and putting our families and children in poverty and should be in prison. After liberation, courts will try these jerks from Berri to Aoun/Bassil and Frangieh for selling Lebanon to Iran's Foreign Legion, the criminal Hizbollah militia. In the meantime, no free Lebanese should be involved in presidential or ministerial charade and stay clear of the current political mafia so not to be complicit. The Basij country they have created by arms, intimidation, and Useful Idiots is crumbling. We'll divide the country and rebuild Free Lebanon after the inevitable collapse of this political mafia and occupying Basij militia.
13 March 2023, 17:42
02
Every Lebanese who sent money to support their family in Lebanon is indirectly supporting the Basij and the political mafia. It is postponing the inevitable collapse of the occupation. All money transfer should stops. Better for our families to suffer for a short while than for this nightmare to continue. Lebanon is dying and no salvation without liberating the Country from the Basij and Hizbollah arms. It is a crime not to start preparing for Cedar Revolution II and the foundation of a new Lebanon. People of Hizbollahstan have voted for the Iranian model and we'll make sure they get what they voted for; but independent from Free Lebanon. Time to cut the cancer out!
13 March 2023, 18:06
04
Franjieh can be president who would talk to Syria, tackle defense strategy
Same thing Hezballah and FPM said about Michel Aoun. Aoun did none of that. In fact the only thing he did was destroy the Lebanese establishment like he'd promised back in 1989. Without Berri locking down the parliament for two years Aoun would've never been elected.
14 March 2023, 08:39
01
So. looking for more excuses to put Franjieye as president. What he lacks though is leadership with the INTERNATIONAL community and he has shown that he has no real plan to get Lebanon out of this financial mess and that he himself sucks at math.
Yeah, maybe qualified to be the next leader of Syria, but not even close to leading this country.b
14 March 2023, 09:30
01
Crooked criminal Berri would love to bring someone like “Suleimani” Franjieh without a high school or university degree.
Personally, Franjieh is a very honest and loyal politician, corrupt but not mega corrupt like Bassil. Berri, Jumblatt or not criminal like Geagea , Nasrallah and the rest.
However, he would be under the thumb of Hezbollah and Amal. A disaster for Lebanon and Lebanese around the world.
