Geagea Warns against Forming a 'Cabinet of Contradictions'
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday warned against forming a cabinet containing representatives of both the March 8 and March 14 rival political camps.
“An active cabinet that can pull Lebanon out of this dangerous abyss can only be a cabinet driven by a single horse in the right direction and call it whatever you want to call it,” said Geagea at a rally titled “Era of Justice” that was held in Maarab on the occasion of the imminent start of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon trial.
Addressing President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, Geagea added: “We all want a new cabinet as soon as possible, but not any cabinet is a real cabinet. A cabinet of contradictions will not be able to achieve anything or do anything.”
“We want a real government. We are all waiting for you and Lebanon is waiting for you, so don't be late. Do not give up your constitutional powers and act according to your beliefs,” he went on to say, addressing the two leaders.
Commenting on the assassination of former minister Mohammed Shatah in a powerful car bombing in downtown Beirut, Geagea said “they did not kill Mohammed Shatah because he was holed up in Qusayr, Qalamoun's mountains or Aleppo” in Syria.
“They did not kill him because he posed a takfiri threat to Lebanon or because he was recruiting suicide bombers,” he added.
Geagea noted that “they killed Shatah because he represented a moderate, open-minded approach that exposed the major chasm between him and them.”
“They killed you because they did not want the Lebanon that resembles you in moderation, tolerance and enlightenment, but rather the image of (fugitive Fatah al-Islam chief) Shaker al-Absi, which would justify their existence,” added Geagea.
“They killed you because they belong to the abominable dark ages,” he said.
The LF leader called for adding all the assassination cases to ex-PM Hariri's case, which is being probed by the STL, “given the fact that they are all connected.”
“The era of justice and truth for Lebanon has come. It is the first time that we sense the presence of a serious will to achieve justice,” he said, referring to the start of the STL trial on January 16.
“It would have not been possible to achieve a sense of justice in Lebanon had it not been for the heroic steadfastness of the Lebanese in the face of the killing machine,” he noted.
“The era of justice has come so that life can return to normal. Our objective is not punishment, but rather to protect Lebanon from the hands of criminals and to establish a real state,” Geagea clarified.
He emphasized that “the triumph of justice would be a triumph for all the Lebanese,” pointing out that “those saying justice would undermine coexistence want neither justice nor coexistence."
In an apparent reference to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who has said that the rival political camps “are causing all the bombings,” Geagea said “someone who is suffering from despair and a blurred vision has put the blame equally on both parties.”
“If both the victim and the criminal are responsible for the crime, then this is the the end of the world with all due honesty,” said Geagea.
“Choosing between the state and the fictional state, the criminal and the victim, stability and instability, justice and tyranny, freedom and oppression, and enlightenment and darkness is exactly like choosing between good and evil. There is no place for retreat or neutrality,” he added.
The cabinet formation process was put on the front burner after Speaker Nabih Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and President Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days.
Amid the LF's rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 camp has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties.
over 10 years
(killing machine)
to know one is to be one
over 10 years
Hakim,, Alla ye7mik.
over 10 years
Ford?
over 10 years
You have already posted 4 times so far.... it seems you listen to him very attentively.
over 10 years
the_snore can not help himself…. Geagea brings out the Roar in him.
ps. the backstabber is the one the one that slither back into Lebanon & sold out to Assad JR after running away from Assad Sr.… you know your Idol the Lunatic.
over 10 years
As usual, you spread lies. He never said that.
over 10 years
Sorry guys, i'm born christian but this doesnot have anything to do in this but in case some christian fanatics get offended: there is some 130 000 dead in in the syrian conflict, more than 40 000 childreen and women, and all u can talk about is the nuns.. U are really some fanatics trying to make us as we are a different kind from the other 130 000 dead, millions refugies... Bravo guys, verry modern and progressist way of thinking...
over 10 years
One man, one Saudi Arabia.
over 10 years
if this is so please tell us what ksa is doing in lebanon both politically and militarily that is endangering lebanon
over 10 years
if there was justice most of M8 leaders would be behind bars TOO...
look at those hypocrits throwing the blame on geagea while forgetting their own leaders....
over 10 years
all the past warlords including those from M14 too, all those who killed directly or indirectly lebanese citizens....
the purpose is stop focusing on geagea as if he, alone, was responsible for all the murders during the civil war...
if you accept all the others to stay in politics then you have to accept gea gea too....
over 10 years
ur grandpa and great grandpa where villagers, and illiterate too, so keep that in mind, you come from the bottom like everyone else.
over 10 years
Yes ft and roar donnot focus on geagea they are so objectif, they never omit facts of the massacres the march 8 political forces did...
They just chose not to share them with us..
Plus one for u 2 bros...
over 10 years
given the huge number of posts you write each time there s an article on geagea i would say you are focusing on him and he seems like a thorn in your butt as you post so much like a frenzy lunatic ...
over 10 years
This guy, Dr. Arreet 7akeh, the certified criminal numero uno who was freed in the filthiest deal of the century (instead of sending the other criminals to join him), is talking about justice. art 7akeh ma ba3do art 7akeh
over 10 years
Everything he has said for past several years are true and represents the civilized Lebanese. However, knowing his and other warlords past, it's difficult to believe. If they only will find another front figure.
over 10 years
icy, they have full time employment here, but since they are paid in rials they have to work overtime to make ends meet.
over 10 years
U r talking of nassrallah in particular or all our politicians?
over 10 years
Berry is so poor, snsp got with baath work ministery for almost all the 90s u hv seen the results.. Btw what side job is bassilo doing cause since ministerial cabinet he seems a litle richer.. No?..
Man u can do better than this, try again mystic..
over 10 years
Once again about lebanese civil war.. Ok u can talk about it we are all arab after all; then there was a time when 2 shiite party splited and engaged in small fight in aklim al tofah, 3000 deads (journal archives still available)...
There is a lot more where it comes from (16 years of war, so many stories....
Sagh again full picture man, or leave lebanese civil war asside...(in my opignon we should open all the foles to see how all where criminals, maybe we will learn for the future...)
over 10 years
Please define criminal to see if it can be applied to others... Just to see...
over 10 years
People who allies with secular hachem minkara who implemented chari3a in tripoli el mina during cuvil war and assassinated most opponents throwing some alive with feet in ciment in the sea are giving preaches, again...
Bravo
over 10 years
They hv governed without march 14 for a time now, now they want them to come back to gov hust to give them political cover for their war in syria... Hope march14 wont be dumb enough to fall in the trap
over 10 years
All of then were warlords in the civil war… but at least Geagea stood his ground like a man while Aoun soiled his PJ and ran like a coward… eat your hearts out :-)
over 10 years
Really sagh, M14 abducted nuns??… I think you have a run in your stockings.
over 10 years
sleiman, sami, geagea, some brave christian leaders we have there...
over 10 years
“Choosing between the state and the fictional state"… that is the bottom line.
over 10 years
The loser is the Iranian Nasrallah who hides underground and does everything in his power to undermine a sovereign Lebanon.
over 10 years
btw, the M8 thumbs down brigade has not reported to work yet… I wonder if they get a lower pay rate then the M8 brigade of commenters?
over 10 years
Go figure.....
over 10 years
Actionman, please do not post any comments made by the Lunatic Aoun before he converted to Assadism. They have been deemed null & voided by his idolizers Flimflam and the mighty Snore.
over 10 years
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo way anyone but this criminal
over 10 years
@Mystic your people are not any better... we do not want lebanon run by iran and khomienie, the whole world is against iran!! hizibelshaitan is no better they have their own weapons... in which country is this ok? its ok hizelshaitan is getting a nice beating in syria :)
over 10 years
what about berry, jumblatt and narsrallah they were equally involved in the war and responsible of thousands of killings.
over 10 years
They killed you because they did not want the Lebanon that resembles you in moderation, tolerance and enlightenment, but rather the image of (fugitive Fatah al-Islam chief) Shaker al-Absi, which would justify their existence,” added Geagea.
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is mystery ....... but what you just said Mr. Gaegae is the Present and you said it perfectly.
over 10 years
There was a time when we had a civil war, we had militias everywhere, there are those who paid the price in a jail cell under the Syrian regime and their agents, others as in Berry, junblat and nasrallah had blood on their hands, kissed the syrian agents hands and survived until this day.
Those against the Syrian regime and their agents in Lebanon still pay the price via car bombs until is very day.
God bless those who always speak the truth.
over 10 years
These message boards look great since they have been cleaned up by the editors, after they removed the drivel from propagandists like Fifi and the bore.
over 10 years
Geagea may not be my favorite cup of tea, far from it, but at least we can thank goodness for having a man who still has the guts to say NO, when NO must be said. Most reasonable and well informed people know, that a repetition catastrophe cabinet will not be in the best interest of the people, but of the M8 side only, so most people are saying NO. yet who will hear their NO, possibly no one who doesn't wish to make meaningful changes. The facts that Geagea has that manly courage to say NO, means that those who don't like that NO now must hear, before feeling that the country is all theirs to do whatever they wish.
over 10 years
+1
Hariri made a mistake by agreeing to the so-called 8+8+8, it seems he was offered something under the table or got some assurances regarding portfolios. M14 should not accept a cabinet until the following conditions are met:
1. Oil ministry goes to a neutral or M14 minister.
2. The word "resistance" is not mentioned in the cabinet statement.
3. HA is not represented in the cabinet, all Shia ministers go to Amal.
over 10 years
God bless the Christians who did not fall for the Ba'ath propaganda, who stuck with us despite the threat of HA arms, who in their entire history never betrayed Lebanon. M14 is nothing without the LF.
over 10 years
Yeslam temmak ya @Proud, we shall overcome, all as one people, Inshalah.
over 10 years
M8ers talking about free speech and democracy. It makes me laugh.
over 10 years
On the political side of things, some people might be thinking that Hariri got some big concessions out of M8 to accept Berri's proposal, however, we must keep in mind that this may not be true, and Hariri might have simply caved in to western pressure to initiate a detente with Hezbo. A political unity cabinet is in the interest of M8 ONLY, because they have a veto with their 8 ministers +1 of the neutral who will most certainly be M8-aligned.
We tried for 8 years to do things diplomatically, and it hasn't worked because HA has shown itself to be a bully, using its arms to get political concessions. Syria is at war, and our biggest enemy is fighting a revolution to stop from being ousted, and HA is doing whatever it can to help him stay in power.
The Baabda Declaration has become just a piece of paper, it is time the M14 alliance threw its weight behind the FSA/IF rebels openly.
Maybe Geagea was wrong in the past, but at least he oppolagized for his wrong. Know we need who killed Hariri et al to apologize for what they done