Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said Wednesday that his relation with President Michel Aoun is good, noting that he has direct contact with him over some matters.
Answering a question during LBCI’s “Akher Kalima” talk show hosted by Journalist Bassam Abou Zeid on whether or not he regrets Maarab agreement, Geagea stated that said agreement was “one of the most important decisions he made in his life, in addition to the decision to go into detention.”
He explained that the Maarab agreement has been interpreted in the Presidency on one hand, and on the ground across the Lebanese regions on the other hand.
“The state’s administration is not sane,” he said, adding that the Lebanese Forces party works the hardest for the sake of the era, the government and the premiership.
He also revealed that his party has a major project for Lebanon, pointing out that the current situation is unsatisfying. “We have an idea on how to get out of this situation and the biggest proof is our performance within the current cabinet,” he added.
Answering a question on whether he will run for the next presidential election, he said: “My being on the head of a party as big as the Lebanese Forces makes me, by default, a natural candidate for the presidential election.”
Geagea preferred discussing the nomination of PM Saad Hariri as Prime Minister for the post-election cabinet after the elections, stressing that the presence of former PM Najib Mikati at the LF festival with Strida Geagea came for reasons unrelated to the premiership.
“My personal relation with Mikati is good and the political relation is another topic,” he clarified.
Commenting on the accusation launched by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah against the Lebanese Forces where he said that the party supports terrorist groups, Geagea expressed regret over such accusations, noting that they are not right. “It is true that we need electoral mobilization but not in this way,” he noted.
Geagea also responded to Nasrallah’s statement where he accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the Lebanese Forces list in Baalbek-Hermel, stating that “the last party allowed to speak about ties with other countries is Hezbollah.”
“Yes we have ties with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and other gulf states, but we did not receive any financial support from any of them,” he explained.
The LF chief emphasized that the statements launched in terms of Arab countries funding the Lebanese Forces party are just hearsay and an attempt for disruption.
“We are not scared of the possibility of disputes in the region of Baalbek-Hermel, our confrontation with Hezbollah is of electoral nature and a natural, democratic one,” he continued.
In the same context, he stated that the chances of success of candidate Antoine Habshi in Baalbek-Hermel means the restoration of rights to the region’s residents, hoping that the area will witness unprecedented development.
Geagea considered that “if Hezbollah wanted Jamil al-Sayyed in the parliament, it will be an easy task,” stressing that without Hezbollah’ intervention, it would be very difficult for Jamil al-Sayyed to become an MP.
Regarding the alliances, Geagea said that his party and the Future Movement are in agreement in Baalbek-Hermel district, explaining that each party will work separately within the same list and will give the preferential vote to the relevant candidate.
Commenting on Hariri’s call on voters to grant the preferential vote to Minister Gebran Bassil in North Lebanon’s 3rd district, Geagea said: “There is no power but in God, we tried to add the Future Movement’s candidate to our list, but Hariri preferred joining Bassil’s list.”
Asked about abstention from nominating journalist May Chidiac as a candidate, he said that “he thinks she has better options.”
However, when asked about him not running for the parliamentary elections, Geagea stressed that “he is against collection of positions.”
“How can I be a party chief and a deputy at the same time?” he asked.
Commenting on describing Minister Bassil as “the man who doesn’t sleep” as he is on the head of a movement, a minister and a candidate, Geagea noted that “Bassil is free to make his own choices and to choose his way of work.”
“For one to be keen on the mission he is assuming, one must focus on it and being a deputy requires time,” he continued.
On the possibility of reaching an agreement with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Forces head wished that there would be a possibility, stating that the Shiite party’s political project prevents the LF from being prepared for such an agreement.
Responding to the circulation of a photo of Information Minister Melhem Riachi with Iranian Charge d’Affaires, Geagea explained that the nature of Riachi’s position as a minister requires him to meet everyone and take photos with everyone, emphasizing that it does mean that the Lebanese Forces party aims at building ties with the Iranians.
Answering a question about a bet he won recently, in particular in the era of President Michel Aoun, Geagea said that “this bet would be ending the presidential vacuum on one hand and normalizing the situation within the Christian society on the other hand.”