Geagea for Technocrat Cabinet, Says March 8 Rejects to Consolidate the State

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused the March 8 forces on Thursday of seeking to consolidate Hizbullah rather than forming a strong state.

“Some of them consider their party essential and (use) the rest of the state’s institutions to support the resistance,” Geagea told reporters in Maarab.

While stating that some of the coalition’s parties do not recognize the existence of the state, Geagea said: “No one in the other team is looking on how to build the state, that’s why it would be difficult to reach an understanding on how to form the cabinet.”

“Lebanon is badly in need of a government and the only solution to our existing problems is (to bring) a technocrat cabinet that deals with the economic and social issues,” he said.

Geagea criticized the March 8 forces for looking for a solution elsewhere. “A one-sided cabinet would make things worse.”

“There is no doubt there should be political dialogue,” he said in response to a question. “But dialogue should be based on clear foundations.”

“Any discussion around the national dialogue table should be based on (the fact that) all of us are (present) in the state,” he told reporters, adding: “The only resistance in Lebanon is the resistance of the Lebanese people, the government and the army.”