Geagea Suggests Forming Govt. of March 14 Figures, Centrists: March 8 Not Seeking Lebanon's Interests
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted on Monday that the March 8 camp's stint in government over the past two years demonstrated that it does not seek Lebanon's interests.
He therefore suggested during a press conference the formation of a technocrat government comprised of March 14 officials and centrists.
“The March 8 camp is incapable of building the state, but it is linked to a regional agenda that has nothing to do with Lebanon,” he remarked.
He labeled the current caretaker government as the most corrupt that had ever ruled Lebanon.
It failed in achieving reform and security and it tarnished Lebanon's image abroad, Geagea continued.
On calls that dialogue be held in order to tackle the government vacuum, he said: “Parliamentary consultations should be launched to appoint a new prime minister.”
Dialogue is not necessary because the constitution explains the steps needed in light of the resignation of a government, stated the LF chief.
“Claims that Lebanon's salvation lies in dialogue is a waste of time,” he added.
Any new government should not include members of the March 8 camp and centrists because the caretaker one was comprised of such figures and it demonstrated its failure, Geagea said.
Speaker Nabih Berri said Monday that the national dialogue at Baabda palace has become a necessity after the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati's government.
The resumption of the dialogue has become “urgent and necessary” to study how the parliamentary elections could be held and the new government formed, he explained.
He said he personally rejects the formation of a neutral or technocrat government because the situation in the country and the region “requires a political cabinet that can rule and overcome this stage with the least damages.”
On suggestions that a national unity government should be formed, he noted that two such cabinets that were formed in the past were also met with failure due to obstacles thrown their way and various developments in the country, remarked Geagea.
“If the centrists and March 8 camp failed to reach an agreement to extend the term of Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi, then how would the March 8 camp fare with its rival March 14 one?” he asked.
Geagea therefore reiterated his suggestion to form a technocrat government comprised of March 14 officials and centrists that would help stage the elections, which would be held after a slight delay.
The elections are scheduled to be staged on June 9.
Asked if such a technocrat cabinet would be possible given Hizbullah's presence, Geagea responded: “Given the choice of being killed a slow death or an immediate one, then we would choose the latter.”
“Is it wrong to propose that the March 14 camp and centrists take their turn in government after the March 8 forces had their chance in power in the past two years?” wondered Geagea.
“We are free to make our own suggestions. I see no other solution given the failure of the previous government,” he stressed.
“Let Hizbullah react in whichever way it wants, but we should not be afraid,” he added.
He hoped that the centrists, starting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, would seriously consider his proposal.
“No other suggestion would save Lebanon because Hizbullah is only concerned with fighting alongside the Syrian regime,” he remarked.
“Any government that includes Hizbullah will only bring about more destruction in Lebanon,” Geagea said.
He revealed to reporters that a petition will be submitted to Berri on Tuesday to urge him to call parliament to session in order to extend Rifi's term.
Asked if the March 8 camp is seeking a political vacuum in Lebanon, the LF leader noted: “One must take into consideration the fact that Hizbullah was certain that Miqati would resign if the government failed to extend Rifi's term.”
Miqati announced on Friday the government's resignation over its failure to extend Rifi's term and approve the formation of the authority to oversee the elections.
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25 March 2013, 17:16
Geagea: One must take into consideration the fact that Hizbullah was certain that Miqati would resign if the government failed to extend Rifi's term.
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25 March 2013, 17:14
Geagea: I am fearful of vacuum in Lebanon given the call to resume the national dialogue. I do not know what the other camp would seek to achieve through vacuum.
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25 March 2013, 17:11
Geagea: Priority should now be given to forming a new government and not returning to dialogue. Forming a new cabinet should take place through consultations, not dialogue.
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25 March 2013, 17:10
Geagea: There are no problems within the March 14 camp and we are awaiting the other blocs' positions.
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25 March 2013, 17:10
Geagea: The March 14 camp is carrying out its consultations over naming a new prime minister.
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25 March 2013, 17:09
Geagea: I am calling on MP Walid Jumblat and the centrists to advocate our suggestion because Hizbullah is completely committed to the Syrian regime and any government that includes it will lead to chaos in Lebanon.
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25 March 2013, 17:08
Geagea: The March 14 camp would enjoy a parliamentary majority if the centrists go ahead with our suggestion. A new government would then be formed and the elections would be staged.
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25 March 2013, 17:05
Geagea: We are free and have the right to suggest what we want. Hizbullah had two years to do as it pleases, while we became part of the opposition.
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25 March 2013, 17:04
Asked if such a cabinet would be possible given Hizbullah's presence, Geagea responded: “Given the choice of being killed a slow death or an immediate one, then we would choose the latter.”
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25 March 2013, 17:03
Geagea: Anything other than this suggestion would be a waste of time.
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25 March 2013, 17:03
Geagea: I therefore suggest that a unity government be formed of the March 14 camp and centrists. This cabinet would help stage the elections, with a slight delay, but the polls would nonetheless be held.
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25 March 2013, 17:01
Geagea: The two previous national unity governments failed in achieving their goals for various reasons.
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25 March 2013, 17:01
Geagea: Given past experiences, how can we speak of a national unity government?
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25 March 2013, 17:00
Geagea: The previous government comprised of the March 8 camp and centrists failed in agreeing on a number of core issues, so what would happen if a new government is formed of the rival March 8 and 14 camps?
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25 March 2013, 16:58
Geagea on the new government: A new cabinets should not be similar to the current caretaking one because it proved its failure.
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25 March 2013, 16:56
Geagea: Ever since the dialogue session in June, we witnessed the deterioration of the economy, the case of Hizbullah's drone, and an attempt against the life of MP Butros Harb.
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25 March 2013, 16:55
Geagea: Dialogue is available to whoever wants it, but one should not turn to dialogue to tackle every single issue without resorting to the constitution.
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25 March 2013, 16:55
Geagea: Constitutional rules stipulate that a new prime minister should be appointed to form a new government. This issue does not require dialogue.
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25 March 2013, 16:53
Geagea: The rival camps are now all calling for dialogue, but what type of dialogue do they want? We spent weeks trying to reach an agreement over a new electoral law and until this moment we did not achieve any progress.
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25 March 2013, 16:51
Geagea: We know that the situation in Lebanon cannot be worse with the absence of the government because it was already bad.
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25 March 2013, 16:51
Geagea: This was one of the most corrupt governments to ever rule Lebanon. It tarnished Lebanon's image abroad and failed in achieving security and reform.
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25 March 2013, 16:48
Geagea: The March 8 camp cannot construct a state because it is linked to a regional agenda.
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25 March 2013, 16:48
Geagea: The government resigned after it sensed that Hizbullah is seeking to take complete control over all security agencies in Lebanon.
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25 March 2013, 16:47
LF leader Samir Geagea during press conference: The government resigned after its foreign minister requested that Syria's seat at the Arab League be restored. It resigned after Hizbullah became involved in the Syrian crisis despite the cabinet's policy of disassociation.
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25 March 2013, 16:47
LF leader Samir Geagea during a press conference: The centrists could not support the foreign minister's request to restore the Syrian regime's seat at the Arab League in light of the death of 100,000 Syrians.
25 March 2013, 17:04
75
Instead of complaining Mr. Geagea, why dont you offer suggestions and solutions?
25 March 2013, 17:56
12
only in this stupid country do we see politicians holding a weekly conference....
a true sign of a retarded country...and sheep followers loving it...
25 March 2013, 17:57
23
let M8 make their cabinet just like the previous one which failed... resigned before the end of its term lol! so we can laugh out more at their incompetence!!
25 March 2013, 18:38
00
why dont we give Geaga a chance to see if he can add value to this wonderful country?
25 March 2013, 18:52
22
For samir geagea to hold this kind of extremist talk completely dismissing Hizbollah's role, he must be ready for war. He must be wagering on the fall of Assad. He must be betting on a war from outside against HA, that will weaken it.
25 March 2013, 19:15
44
I agree to part of your comment. True, geagea doesn't have the vision and the IQ to acheive peace through diplomacy.
However I dont agree that M14 is working on a foreign agenda. M14 lost their vision. There is a bunch of thieves amongst them. But M14 have a purely lebanese agenda. Albeit in the Saudi-American sphere of influence. But this sphere of influence is as negative for the country as the syro iranian instructions that HA gets.
Unfortunately, his talk shows an unwelcome hardening of positions of someone fed up of bending to accomodate the adventures and special demands of HA.
25 March 2013, 19:20
13
I'm sorry Leb but I missed the part where he stated or eluded to war against HA. That is purely your assumption (from my vantage point). He actually answered the question of how he is dismissing HA from the future cabinet
"Asked if such a cabinet would be possible given Hizbullah's presence, Geagea responded: “Given the choice of being killed a slow death or an immediate one, then we would choose the latter.”
I find it interesting that it is understood and no longer contested that by excluding HA from the cabinet WILL put you at risk of assassination
25 March 2013, 20:02
13
FT- If what you say is true about him becoming more irrelevant by the minute then you don't have much to worry about in the upcoming elections. I on the other hand truly believe he is going to pose huge problems to M8 and personally think will be targeted by a smear campaign. I highly doubt an assassination attempt as the cat is out of the bag on that and no one any longer believes the plethora of absurd “explanations” of who is behind them. It is simply understood who is behind them.
M8’s bigger problem overall will be to convince the Lebanese that they deserve the “keys to car” again. The Lebanese people got a pretty good taste of what an M8 government is capable of or lack thereof in the last 2 years. I know you speak very highly of what you call accomplishments that M8 did. However, looking around and talking to my fellow Lebanese, we all see these last 2 years as a disaster. M8 shot itself in the foot and that, my friend, is very hard to recover from.
25 March 2013, 20:36
12
Have fun dismissing me as a voter buts not your biggest mistake. It's your assumption that my friends are M14ers. How or why you think you can unequivocally state that and move forward with your argument as if it’s a proven fact is where you fail miserably. You know nothing of my friends or if the people I was referring to were my friends, colleagues or acquaintances.
Nice attempt on blaming M14 on what happen in the last 2 years. You did put a nice twist to it and might be able to convince a person or two who are hardline M8 supporters. It’s a far stretch from convincing many centrists (for lack of a better word).
25 March 2013, 20:37
22
Leb:
Let me put it str8. HA got used to bully the rest of lebanese and get its way. Usually, everybody yields more or less because of weapons.
Here, Geagea is telling HA to stand aside because they are incompentent. Hence he is not yielding.
If you dont yield to HA, HA will stop the country or cause war. you know that.
I think a better approach is to talk to hezb, negotiate, and watch assad crumble, then be tougher. Not now. timing of geagea is bad.
25 March 2013, 21:16
23
Lebnan- I see what you are saying but the last time they did that, M8 ended up with the blocking 3rd and blocked everything. Not only did it not work to have M8 in the government, it actually made M14 look bad as nothing was actually accomplished. I think the Lebanese people need to hand the keys to M14 and if they don't get the job then give them the boot. I know what I am saying is not ideal when there is a gun pointed to your head. However, if you have someone who is willing to put their life on the line like Geagea is doing, then he will earn my respect and support.
25 March 2013, 20:33
23
FT.
There are 2 factors:
1- Mustaqbal is INFLUENCED by the Saudi way of doing things- the saudi/ american pervasive globalization. this is the worst u can say abt the western culture. They have a lebanese agenda with foreign ideas.
HA is FINANCED by Iran. hence HA is in Iran's employ. they have an iranian/syrian agenda. There is a big difference between Influence and employment.
2- We all agree that the liberal ideas that the west developed in the 18th century are inexistant in stalinist syria and religious iran. We are much closer culturally to the west than to iran's regime.
And please dont give me the salafist argument. True, salafists are financed by saudi/qatar. But The salafists are only gaining ground because of the humiliations that HA is impinging on the rest of the country.
25 March 2013, 19:25
00
Who let this potato talk. Is he for real? How about a country with neither 14M nor 8M?? How about we get new fresh youngsters to rule this country instead of voting for the same people we have been voting for for the past 30 freaking years! My undies smell better than each and every one of them.
25 March 2013, 19:39
17
Guys,
all this sectarian rhetoric serves no purpose especially in these days where we need cool heads to overcome the upcoming period.
whether m8 or m14 has no meaning if our country goes into civil war.
we need to understand we will all loose.
what is needed is some modesty on all sides to find a solution to our country.
in case of civil war m8 and m14 will loose, no one can gain from this. so please tone down your comments.
25 March 2013, 20:05
13
I see your point but don't think that will happen simply because neither side wants a civil war. The Lebanese people are not willing to go through that hell again and will not support it. That they I see it at least.
25 March 2013, 20:25
13
the only peddling a war is you FT. you are using a scare tactic to discredit Geagea as he clearly poses a serious political threat to M8.
25 March 2013, 20:39
12
Geagea stating that he wants someone eliminated from the cabinet means they get to keep their, just not their job. I can see how that can be confusing to you being associated with someone who has eliminated their opponents by killing them. In your case, we can write that off to an honest mistake.
26 March 2013, 04:42
02
Usually Civil wars are not started purposely because one side or both sides wanted to. Civil wars are the bi-product of events and stands that stokes the first flame which then grow larger and larger and take a life on their own., The average Lebanese never ever want a war (do you think anyone wanted the 1975 war, but as more people get victimized they start joining one side or another out of self preservation. Again the side that has the upper hand should be thoughtful and less degrading/provocative, and this is the way to avoid any sparks that could lead to war.
26 March 2013, 06:16
20
Habibi FT. One can blame 1 or 2 incidents on coincidence but 20 ( I have lost count). Seriously! Aoun is allid with HA that has been caught red handed how many times now? I l
25 March 2013, 20:20
13
Mr. Geagea is a couragous man that speaks the truth that many don't want to see or hear...
25 March 2013, 20:22
22
I agree and Hizb and Aoun should be the price for bringing destruction and warto our country.
25 March 2013, 21:08
13
yes exactly what i was thinking! he thinks we are retards pbbly...
25 March 2013, 21:25
11
Hey guys , the civil war has not finished , it merely in remission ...this murderer of fellow Christian wants to install a govt that mirrors his image . The Lebanese Army should act urgently and become our care taker govt , and oversee our elections then handed back to the elected officials that us lebanese voted for !! As for this scumbag Lady Sammy Gaga has no place in lebanese affairs, his taking about executions ? What did he do durring tithe civil ? "Executing Army Officers, Soldiers, Fellow Christians and Blowing up Churches"....what has he to comment, 666 is written all over his deformed forehead ..Gaga go back to your jail cell !!
25 March 2013, 21:39
11
FT knows nothing about how hezb rule in dahye or in the south and the fear they use to make people adhere other than what they show him on OTV....
25 March 2013, 23:52
13
I think we should all report al-kafi. Am i the only one who is sickened by his non-sensical sectarian comments? It really is disturbing.
25 March 2013, 23:55
11
@slash
For all its faults, by no means can you blame our 0% economic growth on the government. The region as a whole is experiencing an economic slowdown, and the conflict in Syria has severely impacted Lebanon's economy. I'm not sure what an M14 cabinet would have done in order to shield Lebanon from these external adverse effects.
26 March 2013, 00:23
11
always deflecting FT... it s mere proof of your stupidity when you are out of argument... it shows that you know nothing about how hezbis coerce people to shut them up and make them vote for them...
your stupidity will always entertain us....
26 March 2013, 00:28
22
FT s stupdity again: "fabrications by the STL are hardly proof."
investigations led by tens of countries and experts can hardly be fabricated other than in M8 fearful minds...
"the doctor is still with israel" if so, why doesnt orangina tries him for treason or any other judge? LOL!
"hezb also has performing ministers." which ones? LOL fneish has been minister of energy, what did he do? always talk about israel but never a single thing for energy! lol just like bassil...
what about the minister of agriculture? what did he do to improve lebanese agriculture so far? nothing... performant indeed but only on OTV or elmanar!
"hezb didnt force its opinion on anyone in the 2005 and 2009 elections" yes they did ... they pressure the shias to vote for them or else they are in big trouble... just inform yourself idiotic FT...
26 March 2013, 06:26
10
It was the stl that freed the generals ft. Check your facts. You lose all credibility every time you try and discredit the stl as an Israeli conspiracy. That rhetoric isn't even being used by HA anymore. It's time for you to retire it.
26 March 2013, 00:38
33
We may not like Geagea, but he spoke the truth. Ideally, it should be a government t of technocrats until the elections are held.
26 March 2013, 09:16
01
Al- Kafir you Jewish bastard , go and have a DNA test you bastard,, only to make sure that your not s half gorilla !!!!
26 March 2013, 09:26
02
Please can you
Imagine that Sir Saad Ari playing the role as PM again ?! Lady Sammy Gaga and Co .. If you value your lives only a formation of the Lebanese Army can be a care taker Govt.. Until the elections !! Under our Constitution we have enough legitimate reasons to assign our Army in the mean time ..Junt Balat go back to your secret cult as well by the way you murderer ..
26 March 2013, 10:17
01
Al -kafi you Jewish employee spy , we know that you are a female with two kids ,, stop inciting and posting comments on this site otherwise well expose your personal details !!!!
26 March 2013, 10:55
00
Hope so for Lebanon's sake !!! Send these bastards to their jail cell or to Downtown graveyard !!!!!
26 March 2013, 10:17
02
All this monster has ever done, is spread poison.
Send him back to jail.
26 March 2013, 12:57
00
well I was reading wow, so many comments. For those of you with sore fingers, LOL good practice to keep athritis away.( wondering how many of you typed with all ten finger) ( and how many with two fingers LOL).
As for the up coming elections. for the sake of lebanon and all its people and the diaspora around the world I hope that a peaceful outcome is for lebanon. Lebanon has been through enough. I think we owe it to the CHILDREN of lebanon to find peace and not war. May Allah help lebanon now and forever.
