Hezbollah Grip on Lebanon Must End, Says Geagea

Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces party, speaks to AFP during an interview at his residence in Maarab, north of the capital Beirut. (AFP)
Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces party, speaks to AFP during an interview at his residence in Maarab, north of the capital Beirut. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Grip on Lebanon Must End, Says Geagea

Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces party, speaks to AFP during an interview at his residence in Maarab, north of the capital Beirut. (AFP)
Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces party, speaks to AFP during an interview at his residence in Maarab, north of the capital Beirut. (AFP)

Lebanon's hijacked sovereignty must be restored after an election denied the Shiite Hezbollah party a parliamentary majority, said Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

"All strategic decision-making should return to the Lebanese state... and security and military matters should be handled exclusively by the Lebanese army," he told AFP.

"No one... should be able to transport missiles from one place to another without the permission and knowledge of the military," the 69-year-old added, referring to Hezbollah.

Geagea's campaign for the May 15 election centered mainly on disarming Hezbollah, cementing his role as the movement's staunchest domestic rival.

The Iran-backed Shiite party, which held a majority in the outgoing parliament together with its allies, is the only militia to have not disarmed after the end of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

Hezbollah, whose arsenal outguns the army's, is described by its supporters as a bulwark against enemy Israel, but it is blacklisted a "terrorist" organization by the US and other Western countries.

Detractors argue it undermines the state's decisions on security and exposes Lebanon to costly disputes, with Hezbollah deploying combatants and weapons across the region.

"No one should be allowed to use their weapons inside the country," said Geagea, who rose to prominence as a militia leader during the civil war.

"This is no longer acceptable," he said during an interview at his residence in Maarab, northeast of Beirut.

Anti-Hezbollah alliance

Lebanon's latest election yielded a polarized and fractured parliament that denied any single bloc a clear-cut majority.

Geagea's party clinched 18 seats, with an additional spot going to an allied lawmaker who is not a party member.

To challenge Hezbollah, Geagea is counting on alliances with other traditional powers opposed to it, including the Kataeb party, and the Progressive Socialist Party led by Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.

At least 13 independent lawmakers who emerged from an anti-government protest movement in 2019 could also bolster their ranks, said Geagea.

"We are in intensive talks" with them, he said.

"We agree at a minimum on the need to build an actual Lebanese state... away from corruption, clientelism, quotas, and private interests."

From Sunday, after the current assembly's mandate expires, the new lawmakers will have to pick a speaker, a position Nabih Berri has held since 1992.

Berri is expected to hold on to the post with the backing of Hezbollah and his Shiite Amal movement which, together, account for all Shiite lawmakers.

But Geagea called on incoming lawmakers to chart a new political path by selecting a speaker who would work to "preserve" the state's sovereignty.

"We can't nominate Berri at all because he is aligned with the other team," Geagea said, referring to Hezbollah.

Another hurdle set to face the new parliament is the process of forming a government, which could take months.

Geagea said he opposes plans for a "national unity" cabinet.

"We support a majority government that can be effective... and that agrees on a unified project," he said.

Lebanon is grappling with an unprecedented financial crisis widely blamed on corruption and mismanagement by a bickering ruling elite that has dominated the country since of the civil war.

The country has been battered by triple-digit inflation, soaring poverty rates and the collapse of its currency since a 2020 debt default.

International donors including the International Monetary Fund have preconditioned assistance on the implementation of key reforms.

"Our ties with Gulf Arab states will certainly be restored and Gulf aid will gradually flow to Lebanon," if a government is formed "that can inspire trust and confidence," said Geagea.

The swift formation of such a cabinet will also streamline IMF negotiations, he added.

The IMF and Lebanon in April struck a conditional deal for $3 billion in aid.

Enacting reforms, including a financial recovery plan which was approved by government on Friday, is one of many prerequisites for the package.

IMF talks are the "main entry point" for financial recovery, Geagea said.



Tunisian President Sacks Prime Minister, Names Sara Zaafarani as Replacement 

People shop in the old city market during the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 18 March 2025. (EPA)
People shop in the old city market during the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 18 March 2025. (EPA)
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Tunisian President Sacks Prime Minister, Names Sara Zaafarani as Replacement 

People shop in the old city market during the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 18 March 2025. (EPA)
People shop in the old city market during the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 18 March 2025. (EPA)

Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked Prime Minister Kamel Maddouri less than a year after his appointment, and named Sara Zaafarani as his replacement.

Zaafarani, who is an engineer and served as minister of Equipment and Housing since 2021, is the third prime minister in less than two years.

In recent months, Saied has sharply criticized the performance of ministers, saying many they have not met the required standards and that the expectations of the Tunisian people are high. Last month he sacked Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri.

Economic growth has not exceeded 1.4% in the past year, and the North African country's public finances face a severe crisis that has led to shortages of key commodities including sugar, rice and coffee.

"We will continue the liberation battle until justice prevails for all citizens ... We will continue to thwart all conspiracies", Saied said in a speech at a National Security Council meeting on Friday.