Phalange party won’t be supporting Aoun or Frangieh’s presidential bids, Gemayel

Phalange Party chief  MP Sami Gemayel declared  Thursday that he will not be supporting the presidential bid of neither General Michel Aoun’s nor Suleiman Franjieh’s  in next week’s election.

“We will rather vote in accordance with our firm beliefs,” Gemayel said.

He also stated the party will not participate in the “current presidential deal.”

Expecting the dysfunction in public affairs to continue, Gemayel said that these elections are not truly made in Lebanon and that the will of the Lebanese people is not being respected.

Yesterday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea  , who was the first to announce his presidential bid but late backed Aoun to resolve the presidential impasse declared the presidential deal was made in Lebanon

Gemayel  added that Aoun will not win because he is the strongest Christian, but because he has a moral obligation from Hezbollah, who has acquired the “exclusive right” to decide public issues, including the presidency. He added that Hezbollah never once mentioned  his support for Aoun was because he is a strongest Christian leader

However, regardless of who wins, Gemayel said that Phalange will monitor the performance of the new president.

“We will hold him accountable  for mistakes or support any step that contributes to the success of a Lebanese agenda,” Gemayel continued.

He also noted that the new president should guarantee the exclusivity of carrying arms by government forces only.

Gemayel also hoped that the new president would eradicate any fears his party has.

He Concluded  his speech by telling  the Lebanese people not to fall prey to intimidation.

Lebanon has been without a president for more than 29 months, part of a political crisis that has resulted in a breakdown in many basic services and concerns about the country’s stability.

Members of parliament will vote on a president on Oct 31 after former prime minister al-Hariri said on Thursday he would back Aoun as president, part of a deal in which he is expected to again be nominated as prime minister.

Lebanon’s dominant movement, Shiite Hezbollah, is allied to Aoun and its leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Sunday his members of parliament would vote for him in the election.