Gemayel: We May Need an Alternative Candidate, Resistance's Achievements Cannot be Ignored
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Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel revealed on Tuesday that the March 14 alliance might reach a stage in which it will start “considering alternatives in the presidential race.”
"There is an ongoing electoral game, but we will reach a point when we will have to consider alternatives for presidency,” Gemayel said in an interview with al-Manar television.
He explained: “March 14's plan involves either succeeding in the voting rounds, or to start thinking about an alternative.”
The former president said his candidacy is “natural” if the Kataeb political bureau decided to nominate him for office.
"I will be a nominee if conditions were favorable and my election would serve all national principles (of the March 14 coalition),” he added.
On coordinating with the March 14 forces on the presidential vote, he said: “We have met together and we agreed on taking part in the elections, one round after another. And then, we will meet to evaluate the voting rounds and take a decision accordingly.”
“We are keen on electing a president,” he noted.
Answering a question on al-Mustaqbal Movement's role in the presidential elections, Gemayel acknowledged that the party has an important presence on the political scene in Lebanon, but stressed that the elections “is a Maronite and Christian matter.”
"This is what the National Pact said and we are not at all in favor of imposing a president on Christians who does not have a strong representation among the people,” he explained.
Gemayel expressed that he cannot ignore the achievements of Hizbullah's resistance, which include the South's liberation in 2000.
"The people in Lebanon have resisted and the Kataeb party has paid an costly price, and so did other parties, among them Hizbullah,” he told al-Manar reporter when asked about his stance on the resistance in comparison to that of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
He considered that the solution would be in dialogue, to reach an agreement on how to "protect the country against ongoing Israeli aggressions."
The Kataeb party's political bureau voted last week in favor of endorsing Geagea's candidacy in the first round of voting in the presidential race, but Gemayel ended up with one vote in his favor.
MPs failed on Wednesday to elect a new head of state as no nominee was able to garner the required two-thirds of votes.
Also on Tuesday, Gemayel evaluated the outcome of the first round of presidential vote with United States Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale.
The U.S. diplomat reiterated during the talks his country's keenness on holding the elections within the constitutional time-frame, and on avoiding vacuum and strengthening stability amid the current critical phase in the region.
S.D.B.
Y.R.
29 April 2014, 21:12
411
"Gemayel: We Might Need an Alternative for Presidency, Resistance's Achievements Cannot be Ignored"
What achievements Mr. Gemayel?? Wars, destruction, killing fellow lebanese, invading Syria and committing massacres. You will be naive to think this talk will get you sympathy from HA.
29 April 2014, 22:07
104
Only blind people, living on the other side of the ocean, would deny the Resistance new achievements, kataeb party are smart to recognize this.
29 April 2014, 23:01
51
So basically Mystic, Gemayel can bribe you with a single statement....you did not smell opportunism and hypocrisy from the man that used to be called mr. 20%. Southern.... Really? Statesman...where do you guys get such empty titles? The man that contributed to demolishing every single institution during the civil war becomes a statesman? Please guys, before using terms learn what they mean...none of the main candidates mentioned today are Statesmen or get close to it...geagea, aoun, frangieh, harb, gemayel, ghanem, salameh, helou (since this stooge got 16 votes) are the absolute opposites of statemen and anybody that supports one of them is unfortunately a traitor to the nation
30 April 2014, 00:03
83
Bribe me? I have stated many times, my dislike for Kataeb and Forces, but that they atleast admit the latest achievements by Resistance forces, should prove to the rest of you people, that it isn't just M8 recognizing them, it isn't false as many of you said. Even your own M14 leaders says it.
If you really think i am that stupid Moonseer, then you were not as clever as i thought.
30 April 2014, 00:04
83
M14 is all about the talk, Resistance is all about the walk. Thats how it works gentlemen.
30 April 2014, 12:25
10
@mystic : you're right, M14 is all about political programs and the resistance is all about pro-actively sabotaging any effort to salvage this country and create an insecutity situation, wage wars, to protect their interests (WEAPONS and FREEDOM TO CONDUCT ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES).
M14 is weak in front of the Islamic Shiite Army in Lebanon because it holds no weapons.
And Kezballah is weak because it holds no politcal plans whatsoever. It's ignorant politicians are incapable of drafting policies with regards to economic recovery, job creation, education, tourism. All they can do is provide Lebanon with a stone-age, black market, underground, illegal economical drive !
30 April 2014, 21:50
00
I know for a fact that lebanese emigrants like myself have left their country because of al mustaqbal's economic politics for the past 25 years and their hegemony over all economic matters and over most of the country's institutions (78 to be precise). It is not hezbollas weapons honestly... the country has been put on pause for the last 10yrs because of hezbollahs weapons. Pls get over it for the moment and focus on the real issues our society faces... peace and love everyone
29 April 2014, 22:50
52
Pajama boy, i usually don't like to answer stupidly....but i really feel you need to get some sleep... I am still trying to evaluate whether you are more brainwashed than a Hizbullah fighter, a takfiri, a Syrian soldier, an Iranian revolutionary guard or a US marine...I think you beat all of them put together....Seriously, you need to learn to read between the lines and analyze...not just nod every time one of your beloved leaders sneezes some BS or scream murder every time one of their opponents sneezes some alternative BS
29 April 2014, 22:25
33
Delusional, if this guy or Aoun think they have a better chance to be elected president than Geagea, Berri setting the quorum at two third in every session guarantees none of the three plus Frangieh have no chance pf being elected but at least, unlike the first two fools, Geagea nor Frangieh for that matter are trying to pass themselves as a consensus candidates. If Berri truly wanted a speedy, made in Lebanon presidential elections, he would have suspended the last open session with the quorum already met rather than adjourn it. Mark my words the next president will be a "consensus", made in foreign dark rooms, middle of the road president without much support withing his community. Most of our parliamentarians will vote him in and plastic smiles will be traded all around.
29 April 2014, 22:30
73
pb, i'm not a fan of amin, but he's known for his diplomacy talent, he could do the job very well, probably better than geagea...
29 April 2014, 22:45
27
m11, its not about the person, but the program.
Hizbos could do with geagea if he was bowing to Iran.
They wont accept amin or anybody that threatens their statelet and militia...
30 April 2014, 00:27
43
man, that's some great analysis, u're better than nasser qandil...
u should work on almanar, apply man...
30 April 2014, 01:22
25
@Pajama boy, I agree. But the reality is Berri only represents the interests of shiites and whoever is the sunni prime minister only that of sunnis.
The system has failed to create democracy and politics based on programs, visions and economical ambition.
