Head of the Lebanese Forces party Samir Geagea said resolving the crises in the region will require more time, citing “facts, the sequence of events, and the political stances of various parties, particularly the influential international ones such as the United States.”
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Geagea stressed that developments over the past two years “are ongoing and will continue until a new order is reached.”
As for Lebanon, he said: “The roadmap was crystal clear in the [President Jospeh Aoun’s] swearing in speech and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s ministerial statement. There is no need to waste time. We must put our affairs in order.”
While acknowledging that progress is moving “in the right direction,” he argued that it is happening too slowly, placing the blame squarely on Hezbollah and the remnants of the so-called “Resistance axis.”
Geagea accused Hezbollah of “fiercely opposing government decisions, going so far as to threaten civil war and resort to violence whenever the state insists on building a real state with exclusive control over arms.”
He added: “Their rejection of any cooperation in state-building is what obstructs and delays everything in Lebanon. Delays in disarmament prevent the establishment of a functioning state, block economic recovery, and stall reconstruction.”
Weapons as a domestic power card
Geagea admitted that “it is not easy for a group to surrender its weapons if they serve a political purpose.” Yet, he argued that experience has shown “these arms do not change the balance; they only give Hezbollah extra weight in Lebanese politics.”
He questioned the party’s insistence on keeping its arsenal despite its own acknowledgment of a full withdrawal from south of the Litani River, saying: “If they truly intend to pull out, why hold on to the remaining weapons? The answer is clear: these arms serve as leverage in Lebanon’s internal equation and as a card for Iran to claim influence in the country.”
He praised the Lebanese Army’s plan to enforce exclusive state control of arms but wished “its timeline were shorter.”
The plan, he said, ensures that “south of the Litani will be fully demilitarized, and north of the river, there will be no weapons convoys, no armed men, no rocket fire - any such act will be prosecuted by law, unlike in the past.”
He acknowledged progress, but urged faster implementation “to serve the displaced from 30 to 40 destroyed villages in the South.”
Geagea dismissed claims that disarmament in the South is tied to Israeli withdrawal from occupied points, calling it “misleading.”
He said the government’s August 5 decision on monopoly over weapons and the army’s September 5 plan “make no mention of Israel.”
“Building the Lebanese state is not conditional on what Israel does. In fact, Israel benefits most from the current situation, where Hezbollah keeps its weapons and Israel enjoys full freedom of action in Lebanon’s skies,” he stressed.
Geagea warned that Hezbollah is exploiting the Israeli threat to justify retaining its arsenal: “The greatest protection for Hezbollah and the resistance camp is Israel itself. Whenever there’s a crisis, they invoke Israel to silence people. But the best way to face Israeli danger is to build a real Lebanese state.”
Parliamentary elections
On next year’s parliamentary elections, Geagea ruled out their postponement. “We have held elections under far more difficult circumstances. Constitutional deadlines are untouchable. Whatever the conditions, elections must be held,” he urged.
Moreover, he criticized attempts to tie elections to the current electoral law, which he considers unfair to expatriates. The ultimate decision, he said, rests with parliament.
“This is how democracies function. The disaster is when proposals are blocked from reaching the general assembly,” he added.
Asked if he was hinting at parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s role in obstructing such proposals, Geagea said he will not jump to any conclusions.
He warned that time is running out: “For two months, subcommittees have debated draft laws with no result. These must be referred to the full parliament for a vote.” He expressed concern that proposals might be blocked because a majority in parliament supports them.
Geagea also ridiculed claims by the “Resistance Axis” that they cannot campaign abroad and that expatriates lack voting freedom. “If the law remains as is, with expatriates electing only six MPs, would that suddenly grant them freedom of choice or allow Hezbollah to campaign? Their real fear is that expatriates vote independently, free from pressure. That is why they want to deny them the right to elect all 128 MPs,” he declared.
He argued that the "resistance camp” is clinging to every clause of the electoral law “because their political position is deteriorating, and even losing a seat or two now has major repercussions.”
The new president and government
Geagea expressed optimism about the president and government’s performance. “We are part of this government, and we see a state being rebuilt, albeit not as quickly as we would like. For the first time in years, Lebanon has a surplus of $1.2 billion, whereas in the past it was borrowing $7-8 billion annually to cover its budget,” he remarked.
He noted ongoing reforms, including banking sector regulation, banking secrecy laws, and a forthcoming financial reorganization law.
“Everything is moving in the right direction, though we are not yet where we want to be. We must accelerate to reach the new Lebanon we dream of,” he urged.
