Report: Mustaqbal Movement to Support Geagea for Presidency

W300

Al-Mustaqbal Movement will adopt the candidacy of its ally Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea for the presidency, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.

Sources close to the LF said in remarks published in the daily that Mustaqbal lawmaker Ahmed Fatfat, who attended Geagea's presidential program launching in Maarab on Wednesday, has reportedly informed the Christian leader of al-Mustaqbal's candidate.

“The movement decided to support Geagea's candidacy for the presidency,” the sources quoted Fatfat as saying.

The newspaper said that al-Mustaqbal's official decision is expected to be announced after the Easter holiday and the meeting of the March 14 General-Secretariat.

The daily said that the heavy participation of Mustaqbal officials in Geagea's presidential campaign launching is a further indication that the movement's chief Saad Hariri will support the LF leader's program.

On Wednesday, Speaker Nabih Berri called for a parliamentary session to elect a new president on April 23.

Berri has said that a candidate should receive two-thirds of votes to win in the first round of elections and half-plus-one or 65 votes of the 128-member parliament to win in the second round.

President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ends on May 25, but the Constitutional deadline for parliament to start convening to elect a new head of state started on March 25.

Geagea is the only presidential hopeful who had officially announced his candidacy.

- H. K.

- G. K.

Comments 47
Thumb popeye almost 10 years

God Bless Mustaqbal and Mr. Hariri for supporting the only man that can save the Republic: Dr. Samir Geagea, the future President of Lebanon, the hero, the consummate gentleman, the Cedar of Lebanon.

Thumb ex-fpm almost 10 years

lol ++

Thumb EagleDawn almost 10 years

Geagea has the determination and conviction to make decisions in the interests of the people. I was having dinner with a colleague of mine a Sunni from Beirut. I was surprised that Geagea has the highest approval rating among the Sunnis of Lebanon. Yet, he was their number one nemesis during the civil war. This goes to show how far Geagea has come since those days and how much trust he has garnered within the Sunni community. He obviously needs the approval of the Shia to become president; such approval seems to be far fetched, unfortunately.

Thumb popeye almost 10 years

the terror party follows a foreign agenda and they are the voice of Iran in Lebanon. They are a party made in Iran but claim to want a President made in Lebanon. Ironic, yes?

Missing forces almost 10 years

well said eagledawn, whilst you talk of the future I am just waiting for the M8 marketing quartet to start posting hateful sectarian and meaningless dribble. they must be jumping out of their skin after reading this article, apparently their crystal ball told them Geagea nominated himself to spite Hariri. must need new batteries this ball of theirs..

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

forces it has not been confirmed yet. I don't think this is a true story.

Missing forces almost 10 years

skitzoman the story made assumptions based on a couple of points, I am happy to wait for the dust to clear, I was purely waiting for those that comment blindly an incoherently to give us their valuable insites. :)

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

forces another report came out saying Amin Gemayal is announcing his candidacy. All these stories a nothing but speculation. And yes I agree with you. It is wise to wait till the dust settles.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

eagledawn was that college by chance Al Aseer the terrorist cleric who is responsible for inciting and executing an assault on the LAF?

No he does not need the approval to become president. He needs to repent and come out clearly admitting he committed crimes against fellow Lebanese and let the people decide if they want to forgive him.

Missing --karim-- almost 10 years

Is that what Geagea meant when he said "Fal ya7kom al ikhwan!"?

Thumb ex-fpm almost 10 years

you keep distorting the truth. Geagea was asked a question and he replied. If the people democratically choose a party such ikhwan, or communists, or liberals then so be it. Aren't the mullahs in Iran governing Iran and of course you claim it was democratic... "Fal ya7kom al Mullahs"?

Missing forces almost 10 years

karim you appear to use this quote quiet often and loosly. it is evident you do not consider our muslim ikhwan as brothers but some sub class of citizen. And I bet it is eating at you that Geagea's plans are all inclusive particularly our ikhwan el chiaa...please keep your sectarian incitement to yourself.

Missing cedars almost 10 years

Yes that is why he fought them from 1977 to 1988.

Missing forces almost 10 years

berri fought nasrallah whats yr point?

Thumb Abubakr almost 10 years

Geagea is a failure in everything he does, short sighted

Missing forces almost 10 years

public investment and major government department reforms ,tourism and employment programs are short sighted? I think I have missed something

Thumb EagleDawn almost 10 years

yes, you missed his hatred and prejudice. These people do not read, do not hear, do not reason.

Thumb sophia_angle almost 10 years

its all about berri n jumpalot they elect the president "."

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

sophia_angle you are correct. The Shia and Druze will be the deciding factors in this presidential race.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

these two boys in the picture are such a wonderful pair.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

I think it might be time for a change. We need a new constitution that allows anyone who is a Lebanese citizen to run for president. The Presidency and every other office should be open to anyone who was born in Lebanon. The current system is an old dying dinosaur and will not last for long.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

One person one vote! Lebanon is for everyone who is Lebanese.

Default-user-icon ziko (Guest) almost 10 years

I think aoun it will be the president not geagea

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

Aoun is to old and does not have the support ya Mr. ziko.

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

Aoun is not only old, but he has shown that he is super consistent with only one thing, zig zagging every single day of his life, so now we cannot afford anymore zig-zaggers, we need someone who can cut out a straight course and stick to it.

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

I worry for Aoun about not getting this seat again, twas so close yet again so far...: Lyrics of the song.
My dear, I've a feeling you are
So near and yet so far
You appear like a radiant star
First so near then again so far

I just start getting you keen
On clinches galore with me
When fate steps in on the scene
And mops up the floor with me
No wonder I'm a bit under par
For you're so near and yet so far

My condition is only so-so
'Cause whenever I feel you're close, oh
You turn out to be, oh, so far

I just start getting you keen
On clinches galore with me
When fate steps in on the scene
And mops up the floor with me
No wonder I'm a bit under par
For you're so near and yet so far

My condition is only so-so
'Cause whenever I feel you're close, oh
You turn out to be, oh, so far. (PORTER, COLE) Sang by Ella Fitzgerald.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

This story is from two days ago

Reports: Gemayel, Saniora Agree on March 14 Coordination to Choose Single Presidential Candidate

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/126609-reports-gemayel-saniora-agree-on-march-14-coordination-to-choose-single-presidential-candidate

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

here is another

Report: Gemayel to Announce Candidacy this Week

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/126931-report-gemayel-to-announce-candidacy-this-week

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

Tt is up n the air right now. No one knows who will support who but, one thing for sure, this election will divide the M14ers, Mustaqbal and change the political dynamics in Lebanon for years to come.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

h-d can you be more specific please and why? Thank You.

Thumb skitzoman almost 10 years

It is up in the air

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

(1). I am pure LF and I should be dancing that the LF leader could become president of Lebanon. Yet I remain reticent for good reasons, reasons that I have already voiced several times in this forum. But that's now besides the point, here I just wanted to remember some highlights of history about why I believe in the youth, of Lebanon's youth, of the world's youth. I remember, even though I was still in primary school and I reread the books of history, of one of America's best presidents ever, John F. Kennedy. They killed him because America had no guts then. Then later again another great president came up, Bill Clinton. Both were young, youthful, dynamic and with the vision that the old guard could not muster so easily. We today are at some stage where the need to allow the new generation to take center stage is hindered by the old guard, so I ask why?

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

(2). Do we lack a good youth? Absolutely NOT. We are proud of our youth, in my opinion, they do us a lot of pride and their patriotism cannot be put under any doubt, nor their vision and professionalism nor their desire to work for the nation. If Geagea makes it, then mabrook to all the Lebanese, starting from the LF, but with a tinge of regret, that we missed another great youthful opportunity.

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

Happy Easter to you bro Roar, enjoy the holidays man. About Bani's multi fakes, don't worry, I am handling them, all cool bro. God bless.

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

Is it 3:30 PM yet?

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

Thanks Slash, I was asking because come 3:30 PM and this thread will be turned upside down by some well known posters.

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

You see Slash, prophecies do happen, whenever a Camel passes by, the flies must follow, and quite a few too, all belonging to the same Gal. When they like you, that one multiplier thumbs you up, when they don't then down it goes. So predictable, always on time, 3:30 PM and on.

Thumb -phoenix1 almost 10 years

Poor guys, reduced to thumbing people down and thumbing themselves up, times are bad for them, drones, in this thread alone 5 and counting.

Missing forces almost 10 years

c'mon BJ let him in...

Default-user-icon Geageaflowerpicker (Guest) almost 10 years

Al-Mustaqbal to announce its support for the candidacy of a mass-murdering warlord. This country is heading for hell!!!!

Thumb beiruti almost 10 years

With President Sulieman's statement of support today for Geagea's Platform and this report, there is one thing for certain and one that hangs in the balance.
The thing for certain is that the endorsement of Geagea by Mustaqbel brings down the curtain on the Aoun bid for the Lebanese Presidency. Without Hezbollah or Mustaqbel, Aoun is dead in the water.
The thing that hangs in the balance here is Jumblatt and his bloc of deputies who could deliver the presidency to Geagea if Hezbollah will not extract too high a price, one that Jumblatt is not willing to pay.
No one wins on a first ballot that requires a 2/3 majority, but on subsequent ballots 65 votes win Jumblatt's 7 PSP votes moving from M8 to M14 secures a win with 68 votes.

Thumb beiruti almost 10 years

The key to Jumblatt is security. He does not want May 7, 2008 repeated and if the election of Geagea will put the blackshirts on the streets again, then Jumblatt will not come along with M14.
On the other hand, if he sees a vacuum in the Office of the Presidency as opening the door for Hezbollah to bring the Syrian Civil War into Lebanon, this could move him to M14 and support Geagea as a guy who will keep the Syrian War in Syria. Geagea has said he wants to partner with Hezbollah and so Jumblatt could be the interlocutor who brings about that partnership. Should this accommodation be reached, Jumblatt would have to deliver it. Ironically, the ascendency of Geagea to the presidency rests with the efforts of Jumblatt. The old militia antagonists now need each other. Time changes all things, it seems.

Thumb beiruti almost 10 years

I know that the Syrian War will not end before 2016. That is the year that the earliest deliveries of LNG from the US to Rotterdam can begin. The war in Syria is a holding pattern war to keep Qatar gas from traversing Syria to Turkey and then on to European Markets. As long as the Syrian crossroads are unstable, neither Iranian nor Qatar gas from the Pars Gas field in the Persian Gulf is going to European markets.

Thumb beiruti almost 10 years

The instability in Ukraine, likewise is having the intermediate effect of turning EU natural gas customers away from Russian suppliers as unreliable and turning them instead to alternate suppliers, like the US. It will be more expensive, but a reliable supply. We are witnessing an energy war, created by the 2008 breakthrough in producing commercial quantities of oil and gas in the US by fracking. It has turned the entire market on its ear and these wars we are seeing are the product of that economic fact.

Thumb beiruti almost 10 years

Oil and gas development off Lebanon's shore is dependent upon this election and the Ministries. Exxon/Mobile is very much involved in the exploration of the fields and want to be involved in the leasing of the sites. So everyone wants this election because development of the fields needs a government in Lebanon to oversee the process. Nothing like a little oil and gas to bring stability to government.

Default-user-icon The Truth (Guest) almost 10 years

I'm against March 8 parties, but Geagea would be a bad choice of president right now. Someone is needed who will be a 3rd party to the 14/8 domination of politics and work to undo the bind that they have put Lebanon in.

Default-user-icon SaddenedLebanese (Guest) almost 10 years

What a sad day for Lebanon if this mass-murdering warlord is elected president . Al mustaqbal once again shows how deeper of a level of filth they can dig into. Bravo!