A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
leader 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 ...
on Wednesday urged Prime Minister
Najib Miqati to "submit his resignation today rather than tomorrow or to jump off the boat, which is approaching the rocks.""The Lebanese state has not granted refugee status to those who decamped to Israel (in 2000). Let the government classify them as refugees and let Miqati quit if he does not have the majority in cabinet to do that," Geagea said during an interview on Future News television.
"Did the energy minister (Jebran Bassil) or the premier seek Arab funds for the (recently approved electricity) plan? They rather rejected proposals from Arab funds so that they make investments in the local market. It would be better for the government to quit today rather than tomorrow," Geagea added.
He warned that the approach adopted by Miqati will not lead to "building a country."
"In my opinion, if the government resigns, let's form a March 14
Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys...
government because Leb can only find salvation through a March 14 government based on the Cedar Revolution's principles," Geagea suggested, noting that the previous national unity government had "failed to unite the country."
"Should we fail to form a March 14 government, let's form a technocratic government. The best PM Miqati can do for the sake of his political future is to step down immediately," the LF leader went on to say.
Slamming Hizbullah and its allies, Geagea said: "We tell them once and for all: Let no one threaten us. They got accustomed to that after the May 7 (festivities) but we shall not tolerate threats. To hell with stability if we are supposed to live a false life."
"What kind of state is that which is a mailbox for other countries? Let the other camp take to the streets whenever they want, but when they realize that we will stand our ground they will leave the streets," Geagea noted.
He blasted the Lebanese state as "inexistent on the human rights
...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
map or the world map."
Asked about Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's stances on the Syrian crisis and the Arab Spring, Geagea said "the patriarch is observing the events and raising concerns."
"His concerns are legitimate but I would've liked to see him asking us politicians to take action. His stances have changed now and I didn't share him some views," Geagea added, noting that "al-Rahi is not closer to the other camp even if his viewpoint is different than that of (ex-)patriarch (Nasrallah) Sfeir."
He stressed that there is "dissimilarity" between the two patriarchs' personalities, but pointed out that "al-Rahi has just started his journey and we cannot judge it at this time."
Geagea reminisced "major disagreements with patriarch Sfeir when he first started his journey," calling for giving al-Rahi "enough time to see what direction he will take."
Commenting on the murder of 28-year-old Lebanese woman Myriam al-Ashqar on Monday in Keserwan, Geagea said: "Only the law and the path of justice can salvage us, as a crime should not be confronted with another crime, but rather through the law, despite the current status of our judiciary."
Turning to the issue of the Syrian crisis, Geagea said "the fall of the Syrian regime is inevitable," noting that embattled
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Light of the Alawites...
's regime "does not enjoy any Arab or international legitimacy."
He also noted that "Hizbullah will not sacrifice itself to rescue the (Syrian) regime, although it would grow weaker with its downfall."
"Syria will witness a difficult turmoil after the revolution, just like what happened in Iran, the Bolshevik Revolution and the other Arab countries," Geagea suggested.