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Boosted by Lebanon Vote, Geagea Eyes ‘Hezbollah’ and Reform
[AAWSAT] The Lebanese ForcesA Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... (LF), which made big gains in Leb's parliamentary elections earlier this month, said it will use its stronger position to press for "Hezbollah's" weapons to be brought under government control and to root out corruption in the heavily indebted state. The LF, which almost doubled its number of MPs in the May 6 election, expects to convert those gains into more power in a new coalition government that Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri is expected to lead, LF chief  Samir Geagea... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ... told Rooters in an interview published on Friday. Geagea said it would "no doubt" be difficult to form the new government which - like the outgoing one - will share out ministries among Leb's rival parties, including the Iran-backed "Hezbollah". But citing intentions expressed by Lebanese leaders and the pressing need for economic reform, Geagea held out hope the cabinet formation would not take too long. He confirmed his party was moving towards nominating Hariri as premier again. The formation process may have, however, hit a glitch with the United States announcing on Wednesday sanctions against "Hezbollah" Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy, Naim Qassem  ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... . Other sanctions also targeted one of its major financiers. Leb was in dire need of a "truly new" government to tackle corruption, Geagea said. "I believe everyone has realized now that the ship might sink with everyone aboard," he added, referring to the economic risks facing the state with the world's third highest debt as a share of output. "I believe we are in a new phase." The LF is the second biggest Christian party after the Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... (FPM) established by President  Michel Aoun...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah ... Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistanceand purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... ... , a "Hezbollah" ally who became head of state in 2016. While Aoun has expressed support for "Hezbollah's" possession of weapons as a deterrent to Israel, Geagea is the Shiite group's most significant Christian adversary in Leb and an opponent of its allies in Damascus and Tehran, reported Rooters. "Hezbollah" and its allies also emerged with the parliamentary majority in the recent elections. Including the FPM, Hezbollah and factions that back its possession of arms won more than 70 of parliament's 128 seats. Hariri was always expected to lose out under a new proportional system, but he remains the leading Sunni figure in Leb's sectarian system. Geagea, however, disputed that "Hezbollah" had come out stronger, saying the FPM was no real ally of the group and its backing for its weapons was "just verbal". The LF, which won 15 seats, emerged from a Christian militia led by Geagea through the final phase of the 1975-90 civil war. "Hezbollah", set up by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was the only Lebanese group to keep its weapons at the end of the war. It used them to fight Israeli troops occupying southern Leb. Since Israel withdrew in 2000, the arms have been a point of contention and the group has been deemed a terrorist organization by the United States. Noting that "Hezbollah" was part of the cabinet, Geagea said his party would propose - as a temporary measure - that its arsenal be put at the command of the government. Posted by: Fred 2018-05-19 |
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