'Mask has fallen': Geagea accuses rivals of rejecting dialogue

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday accused the rival Hezbollah-led camp of rejecting dialogue over the presidential file, a day after the opposition proposed two suggestions for resolving the crisis.

“The mask has finally fallen, albeit after two years,” Geagea said in a statement.

“For two years, the groups of the Axis of Resistance have been calling for dialogue, dialogue, dialogue under the excuse of finalizing the presidential juncture. Their lying and hypocrisy have become evident to all Lebanese,” the LF leader added.

“Once the opposition unanimously proposed yesterday two serious suggestions for finalizing the presidential juncture, they raised their voices left and right to reject, condemn and deplore. Are you truly the same people who have been calling for dialogue for the past two years?” Geagea wondered.

He added that those who want true dialogue should “immediately embrace the opposition’s suggestions, especially that these suggestions are pro-dialogue par excellence and constitutional par excellence.”

The opposition lawmakers had on Tuesday announced two suggestions aimed at facilitating the election of a new president and ending the country’s long-running presidential vacuum.

“MPs would meet in parliament and hold consultations, without an official invitation, institutionalization or any specific framework, out of keenness on respecting the rules related to the election of presidents stipulated by the Lebanese constitution,” the opposition proposed.

“Consultations would not exceed a period of 48 hours, after which MPs would go -- regardless of the consultations’ outcome -- to an open-ended electoral session with successive rounds until a president is elected, as per the constitution,” the opposition added.

Another suggestion would be for Speaker Nabih Berri to “call for a presidential election session under his chairmanship,” the opposition said.

“Should no election take place in the first round, the session would remain open and MPs and blocs would hold consultations outside parliament’s hall for a period not exceeding 48 hours, after which they would return to the hall for voting in successive rounds not exceeding four rounds daily … until the election of a president,” the opposition added.

“All parties would commit to attending the rounds and securing quorum,” it said.