Geagea warns of Hezbollah-Bassil agreement on 'mediocre president'

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has noted that “the presidency is a Lebanese issue par excellence,” calling on MPs to “shoulder their responsibilities, especially the parliament speaker.”

“We are awaiting the visit of French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Lebanon, because he is following up on the issue from all its aspects and is informed on the steps, especially in terms of specifying the characteristics that were announced for the election of a president during the meeting that was held in Doha around a year ago,” Geagea said in an interview with MTV.

“I’m not very optimistic, but the five-nation committee (for Lebanon) must continue its work through pressing the Axis of Defiance to stop its obstructive role,” Geagea added.

The LF leader also stressed that the committee in its latest statement “did not call for a (Speaker Nabih) Berri-style dialogue, but rather for consultations in the vein of what the Moderation bloc had suggested.”

“These consultations have been ongoing since the beginning of the presidential vacuum, but they are facing obstruction from the Axis of Defiance due to the latter’s inability to secure the election of its candidate Suleiman Franjieh,” Geagea added.

The LF leader also claimed that “there are under-the-table contacts, especially between (Free Patriotic Movement chief) Jebran Bassil and Hezbollah, that might lead to an agreement on a mediocre president.”

“We will do everything necessary to prevent the election of this candidate on whom Bassil and Hezbollah will agree,” Geagea vowed.