Geagea calls for presidential vote, says dialogue with Shiite Duo leads nowhere

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea has long opposed electing a president through dialogue. "All possible dialogues have led to nowhere," Geagea told MTV on Monday night.

Geagea revealed that MPs from his party have been talking to Amal MPs but that all dialogues were "fruitless," accusing Hezbollah and its allies of clinging to their presidential candidate, Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh. "This won't be a real dialogue," he said.

Geagea also stressed that a president should be elected through vote and not through consensus. "Otherwise why is there a vote?" he asked. "A president could have been elected by now in a second or third round of voting without a political consensus."

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had said Sunday that the five-nation group for Lebanon supports "consensus" and "consultations." He said that he cannot prevent any party from boycotting the sessions because "boycotting sessions is a constitutional right," insisting that a quorum of 86 is needed to elect a president and thus consensus before a voting session is a must.

"The quintet has lost hope," Geagea said, adding that they are leaning now towards a third candidate.