Geagea says accepts presidential vote session boycotted by Shiites

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has said that he would accept that a parliamentary session be held to elect a new president without the participation of the Shiite MPs in it.

“The constitution and the National Pact allow that. If for example Maronites reject something, would this mean that the country should be paralyzed?” Geagea added, in an interview on LBCI television.

As for the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war, Geagea said he believes that it will last three to four more months.

“I expect the continuation and escalation of the battles during this stage, seeing as the two parties of the conflict consider themselves to be before a chance to enhance their positions prior to reaching a situation that would limit their movements,” Geagea added.

Pointing out that “what’s happening today is exactly what the Israelis had planned for,” the LF leader noted that “throughout one month, the Israelis have occupied around 200 square kilometers (of south Lebanon), whereas the occupation of the 360-square-kilometer Gaza took eight to nine months, which means that they are a lot faster in Lebanon, contrary to what Hezbollah is promoting in this regard.”

He added that “the Israelis are preparing for the second stage.”

“I don’t know if it will reach the Litani or not, but it is the same, although the first stage was harder, because it was about Hezbollah’s first line of reinforcements. Unfortunately, all of this has fallen and now the second phase will begin,” Geagea said.

He added: “We are on the brink of a war between Israel and Israel, and I believe that it will not end without a strike on the Iranian nuclear facilities, especially after Donald Trump was elected president.”

As for the Lebanese presidency, Geagea acknowledged that “a lot of parliamentary blocs support the election of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.”

“I have announced that he is one of the serious candidates and that we don’t have a veto on him, but before nominating him formally, we will talk to him to explore his approach regarding some matters,” Geagea added.

“A consensual president is not a real president and a consensual government is not a real government,” the LF leader went on to say.

As for Hezbollah’s participation in the coming government, Geagea said: “If it turns into a political party, it will take part, and I don’t envision that it would keep its weapons under any settlement.”