Friday, March 6, 2015

No solution to presidential crisis: Samir Geagea



BEIRUT: The presidential election crisis continues with no solution in sight, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said in remarks published Wednesday.
“Personally, I don’t see any way out [of the crisis] now,” Geagea said in a chat with journalists Tuesday.
“Previously, Tehran was the one that proposed French presidential envoy Jean-Francois Girault’s intervention and after extensive contacts, he was told that Hezbollah has committed its support for Gen. Michel Aoun, and they can’t do anything,” Samir Geagea said.
Nevertheless, Samir Geagea emphasized his willingness to continue to support an anticipated dialogue with his Christian arch foe Aoun even if talks did not yield any fruit.
“I insist to carry on dialogue with Aoun no matter what,” he said.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since May 2014, when former President Michel Sleiman left office at the end of his six-year term. Disagreement over a successor has kept vacant the state’s post which is reserved to Maronite Christians under Lebanon’s sectarian political system.
The imminent talks between Geagea and Aoun aim to achieve Christian rapprochement to end the presidential election impasse.

Samir Geagea and Aoun will not quit the presidential race despite the much-awaited dialogue between the two rivals, Lebanese Forces spokesman Melhem Riachi has said.