Samir Geagea, MP Ashraf Rifi discuss French envoy's visit and political outlook

The head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, discussed in Maarab with MP Ashraf Rifi the latest Lebanese political developments, especially the visit of the French Presidential Envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian. 

After the meeting, which lasted an hour, Rifi came out to confirm that the sovereign forces in Lebanon have a solid core that controls the course of affairs, unlike the conditions in the previous parliament, where Hezbollah controlled with 72 deputies. 

Adding, "We have all seen how Hezbollah tried to delude us through a psychological war, as he guarantees 65 votes for his candidate whenever he wants, but the June 14th session came to assure him that we are ready to implement the constitution whenever he wants, by holding a full election session." 

He pointed out that the figures produced by the June 14 session were remarkable and clear, even if Hezbollah considered it a point of view, as "it was him who tried to convince us that his equation of 51 votes was more than 59 votes."

He added, "We explained to him that there is a sovereign state that rejects the Iranian hegemony which Lebanon is witnessing, and it is a closely knit Christian-Islamic state, so we are continuing our battle […] to strengthen this state more and more so that we can stop the "Iranian hand" from the homeland." 

Regarding the French Presidential Envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit, Rifi said that the French are trying to get out of the Shiite duo's candidate that he named, especially since the Christians refuse that Hezbollah's candidate be their candidate, and the matter is the same concerning the Sunnis who reject Ambassador Nawaf Salam. 

He stated that Lebanon should be represented by politicians and statesmen in every sense of the word, given that the country can no longer bear six additional years of the crisis it is now floundering in. 

He said, "We used to have a homeland that we glorified as the Switzerland of the East, but they turned it into a terrorist camp and a factory for Captagon and poisons. From here, we do not want our children to inherit a homeland with these specifications." 

Rifi revealed: "It is true that the Lebanese society was in a period tainted by a state of caution about Hezbollah's terrorism, which was classified as a terrorist organization and part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard by most countries, but today we were able to dispel fear and hesitation in confronting this project, and how not while we carry a national trust on our shoulders, and God willing, we will live up to this responsibility." 

He added that the French envoy was a listener more than a speaker. He asked two main questions: the first being a description of reality, while in the second question, he wanted to know their vision of how to get out of the current reality.

"Our answer was clear and straightforward: the necessity of holding a presidential election session according to the Lebanese constitution, in successive sessions."

MP Ashraf Rifi also denied the accusations that the Renewal bloc participated in a coup against the constitution, explaining that "the bloc is constantly demanding the implementation of the constitution." 

He said, "The other side has turned against the principle of national partnership, and I approached the French envoy on this issue, and I also expressed my regret that his tour did not start from Baabda Palace due to the presidential vacuum, which is the responsibility of those who attack national partnership in every sense of the word, knowing that we see pluralism in Lebanon."

He also appealed to "our Christian brothers who have the right to have the largest part of the choice in the matter of the presidency without imposing it on them, and at the same time, we demand, as Sunnis, that the basic choice remains for us in the matter of naming the prime minister and after him the national choice, and therefore, it is not possible for us to put puppets to represent us as Sunnis and to represent the Maronites, when the Shiite position is reached from whoever they want." 

He concluded, "We are partners in the homeland, and our partnership is based on equality in shares."