Geagea: Hollande Avoided Meeting Cabinet, a Prelude to its Isolation

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said French President Francois Hollande's meeting with President Michel Suleiman during his visit to Beirut reflected a French stance that Paris rejects to deal with the current cabinet.

In an interview with al-Joumhouria daily on Monday, Geagea stressed that avoiding any meeting with the cabinet members will gradually lead to isolating the government, and only then will the officials become convinced that their cabinet is impossible to remain.

“Avoiding meetings with the cabinet will gradually lead to isolating it. Only then will its members become convinced that it is impossible to endure,” Geagea told the daily.

“Hollande's visit comes in the context of France's concern for Lebanon and the historic friendship between the two countries, mainly after the recent assassination of Internal Securiyt Forces Intelligence Bureau Cchief Brig. Gen. Wisaam al-Hasan,” said Geagea.

Hasan was assassinated in October in a massive car bomb in Ashrafiyeh that left two others dead and more than 100 wounded.

Hollande paid Lebanon a three-hour visit on Sunday where he met with Suleiman, and reiterated France's support to Lebanon's stability highlighting the necessity to preserve its security.

Hollande did not meet any other Lebanese official.

On the other hand, Geagea lauded the Lebanese president's stances, saying “Suleiman has concerns for Lebanon. He realizes well the reality of the national crisis and the reasons behind it. However he can only call on political factions for dialogue to form a national unity government.”

“I hope that Suleiman exerts all efforts to stop the killing machine since all other efforts not only lead nowhere but also were used to cover up the criminal practices,” he said.

The LF leader saw no horizon of hope for dialogue. “Neither dialogue nor a unity cabinet are able to stop the killing machine.

“A unity cabinet only paralyzes the country and disrupts its institutions. It is unable to preserve the country's security or stability. It is unacceptable to turn a blind eye on the real problem.”

Blaming the March 8 coalition and its “regional alliances” for the assassinations, he said “there are efforts to falsify the facts and keep the state divided,” expecting more “killings that could destroy the country.”

Rejecting all forms of succumbing to a de-facto situation, he said “the other party (March 8 alliance) does not want a real state. It wants to keep Lebanon a mail box for regional axes it belongs to.”

He concluded stressing the necessity to form a neutral cabinet and to find a solution for the obstacle hindering the establishment of the Lebanese state.

The opposition March 14 alliance boycotted all parliamentary activities and demand the resignation of PM Najib Miqati's cabinet accusing it of covering the assassinations.

President Suleiman holds consultations with different political powers to discuss the political situation and to hold a national dialogue session following Hasan's assassination. A session is expected to be held on November 12.