Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea accused on Wednesday the March 8 camp of seeking to impose vacuum in the position of the presidency following the failure of the second round of the presidential elections in light of a lack of quorum at parliament.
He said during a press conference: “The camp is forcing us to choose between its presidential candidate or vacuum.”
Full StoryLawmakers once again failed on Wednesday to elect a new president as differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances led to a lack of quorum in the second parliamentary session aimed at choosing a new head of state.
While the March 14 camp held onto its candidate Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance, except for Speaker Nabih Berri's Development and Liberation bloc, boycotted the second round of the elections over lack of consensus on one candidate.
Full StoryAl-Mustaqbal movement leader former PM Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil have agreed on the importance of holding the presidential elections on time to avoid vacuum, the FM and sources said.
Hariri and Bassil, who is a Free Patriotic Movement official and MP Michel Aoun's son-in-law, held a meeting in Paris on Tuesday on the eve of the second round of the presidential elections.
Full StoryA meeting was held on Tuesday in Paris between former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on the eve of the second round of the presidential elections.
The meeting comes as the French capital is witnessing a flurry of political activity as the Free Patriotic Movement is awaiting the support of al-Mustaqbal movement for FPM leader MP Michel Aoun's presidential bid.
Full StoryLebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Monday the March 8 camp for submitting blank ballots during last week's presidential elections, which he said resulted in the obstruction of the polls.
He slammed the tactics as hindering democracy, urging the camp “to choose a presidential candidate to ensure the success of Wednesday's presidential election at parliament.”
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri has warned that he would change his “classical” approach to the presidential polls if lawmakers failed again to elect a new head of state.
In remarks published by local dailies on Monday, Berri said: “I am so far dealing with the presidential elections in a classical way.”
Full StoryHizbullah stressed Sunday that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea will not be able to be elected as the country's new president, noting that “those who rejected the policy statement” of Tammam Salam's cabinet have no place in the Baabda Palace.
“The Lebanese are eagerly awaiting the election of a new president because they want the country to capitalize on the positive steps that were achieved with the formation of the cabinet and the implementation of the security plan,” Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said during a memorial service in the southern town of Blida.
Full StoryAl-Mustaqbal movement has poured cold water on remarks by a number of Free Patriotic Movement lawmakers about the presence of a certain “deal” with former premier Saad Hariri that would see FPM leader Michel Aoun reach the Baabda Palace, amid the insistence of FPM sources on the existence of such efforts.
In remarks published Sunday in the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, a prominent, unnamed Mustaqbal minister said it is most likely that the election of a new president will not happen within the constitutional timeframe, which ends on May 25, noting that a presidential vacuum is looming on the horizon.
Full StorySyrian National Coalition chief Ahmed Jarba voiced hope on Saturday that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea would be elected as the new head of state.
According to a statement issued by the LF press office, Jarba told Geagea in a telephone conversation that “the Syrian people support him for presidency and would be glad if he reached the Baabda Palace.”
Full StoryThe March 14 alliance is carrying out consultations among its factions to guarantee the success of its candidate for the presidential elections and to avert any possible vacuum at the helm of the country's most important Christian post, local newspapers reported on Saturday.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, al-Mustaqbal movement chief Saad Hariri's envoy former MP Ghattas Khoury held separate talks on Friday with the head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, and Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel to evaluate the first parliamentary vote and the possible scenarios for the upcoming round.
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