Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said that he does not support the election of al-Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh as President, nor will he support a confrontational candidate as Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has suggested.
He slammed Free Patriotic chief Gebran Bassil, accusing him, along with President Michel Aoun, of obstructing reforms, especially in the energy sector.
Jumblatt also criticized Geagea and considered that Geagea has made it possible for Aoun to become President.
He also said that Geagea easily accuses others of treason. “I do not dare to name a President, I am afraid I would be dubbed as a traitor,” Jumblatt said
Jumblatt’s comments come after Geagea said recently in a press conference that the parties that will prevent the opposition from electing a new sovereign president, would be traitors.
“I do not agree with the LF that the next president must be confrontational,” Jumblatt added. “The next president must be capable of managing the crisis, and must have an economic and political background, without being affiliated to any party. ”
He said that the opposition forces are still fragmented while Hezbollah and its allies can easily choose the President they want in the coming presidential poll.
Jumblatt said that the priority now is for the reforms in the energy and banking sectors over the political issues like Hezbollah’s disarmament and the border demarcation, and that Lebanon cannot be neutral “as long as a beast called Israel exists.”
Mixed signals
The Progressive Socialist party leader has been sending mixed signals about his stand regarding the election of a new president
Jumblatt who has been critical of Hezbollah, its arms and and its allegiance to Iran met recently with top Hezbollah officials at his residence in Beirut . Following the meeting Jumblatt called for dialogue with Hezbollah .
There was a lot of speculation on what exactly was discussed during the meeting but the overall reaction from the opposition MPs was very negative since they were counting on him as being one of them .
Prior to his meeting with the Hezbollah delegation , Jumblatt revealed that he could support the election of Franjieh a key ally of Hezbollah and Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad , for president if he had the right program for rescuing the country .
Jumblatt has been in the habit of switching sides. While from 2005 to 2009 he was one of the leaders of the Cedar Revolution and March 14 alliance and on several occasions he blasted the Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad , in 2009 he quit the alliance and the first thing he did was visiting Syria and meeting with Assad , whose father was behind the assassination of Lebanese leader Kamal Jumblatt ( Walid’s father ) and ever since he has been switching sides as he pleased with the hope of being the king maker . This is one of the reasons Jumblatt has been criticized and described as ” not a man of principals “
Hezbollah lost its parliament majority in the last election and for this reason the opposition has been counting on Jumballt to join their ranks in order to elect a president that is independent and not part of the Hezbollah led March 8 alliance like outgoing president Michel Aoun.
Analysts are of the opinion that the only way Lebanon can regain its sovereignty is for all the opposition that won the last election to join ranks and pick a president that will be up to the task.
Ali Hussein , a political analyst told Ya Libnan : ” Under Aoun Lebanon collapsed as a state and there is concern that another Hezbollah backed president , regardless whether it is Franjieh or anyone else will be like kissing what has remained of Lebanon “goodbye “.
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