Samir Geagea stands firm: Lebanon needs a President dedicated to reforms, not regional deals

Samir Geagea, the leader of the "Lebanese Forces" party, issued a statement on Tuesday, discussing: "What caught my attention in the ongoing negotiations between the Axis of Resistance and Western envoys, especially the Americans, regarding the redeployment of Hezbollah in the south and other matters, is that the Axis of Resistance always concludes its speech with the following phrase: These matters require an internal situation related to the file of the presidency and the government."

Geagea said that this phrase implies that this axis places the presidency and the upcoming government within the framework of the ongoing negotiations about its status in the south.

He stated, "This matter is rejected in its entirety, as the presidency is not a substitute for something lost, and it will not be a reward to satisfy the Axis of Resistance, nor will it be a supplementary matter to any deal, neither in the near nor distant future."

In addition, Geagea emphasized that "the presidency in Lebanon is a standalone issue unrelated to any other deal. After all that has happened in Lebanon and what the Lebanese citizens are going through, we are more than ever in need of an effective president whose concern is not to arrange matters for the Axis of Resistance or serve it but to organize the affairs of the Lebanese Republic and focus on the interests of the Lebanese people."

He added, "Yes, more than ever, we need a reformist president dedicated to implementing the necessary reforms so that the doors of the global economy can open before us again, revitalizing our economy and restoring the Lebanese to their previous state of prosperity and well-being."

Geagea concluded, affirming: "We reject any figurehead president who does not possess the required qualities for the presidency in this stage and comes as part of a regional settlement currently under discussion."