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Lebanon: LF Leader Says Open to All Solutions to Avoid Disrupting Presidential Elections

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea (Lebanese Forces)
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea (Lebanese Forces)
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Lebanon: LF Leader Says Open to All Solutions to Avoid Disrupting Presidential Elections

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea (Lebanese Forces)
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea (Lebanese Forces)

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea affirmed his openness to all solutions to avoid disrupting the presidential elections, including negotiating with the deputies who did not name anyone in the last session if they had a serious proposal.

He criticized the lawmakers who did not vote for any candidate, accusing them of wasting their votes and helping those who sought to disrupt the elections.

Member of Parliament Michel Moawad received 42 votes in the last parliamentary session to elect a president, including the votes of LF lawmakers and its allies. At the same time, the session saw 55 blank notes and 17 ballots for a "new Lebanon," which were nullified.

Geagea said on Friday during a meeting with students in NDU that if Michel Moawad had obtained 66 votes in the last presidential election session, “then reality would have imposed itself."

He noted that the other party would have no longer been able to disrupt the quorum because it would eventually have to head to elections, given that there is a candidate who received the majority.

Geagea said, during his meeting with the LF students at NDU University after they won student elections, that the 22 MPs can save the country from the vacuum in the next session if they don't waste their votes.

He indicated that there is plenty of time for talks to reach a solution, adding that the party is open to all resolutions and ready to negotiate with a representative if they have a serious proposal.

The 22 MPs can make this vote succeed, and we are waiting for their proposals," Geagea insisted.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah is also pushing for consensus on a presidential candidate.

The member of Hezbollah’s Shura Council, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek, said that the parliament sessions are still taking place without electing a president, asserting that no bloc or party will be able to impose a president, regardless of the foreign support it receives.

Yazbek said the lawmakers must negotiate and agree on a candidate representing the Lebanese and not a president for a particular group.

He asserted that all members of the parliament must agree on a solid figure representing Lebanon, its people, army, and resistance, stating that there is no turning back and the theory of “Lebanon’s strength in its weakness” has ended.

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Hezbollah Reiterates Its Refusal to Enter the War

Speaker Nabih Berri (dpa) 
Speaker Nabih Berri (dpa) 
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Hezbollah Reiterates Its Refusal to Enter the War

Speaker Nabih Berri (dpa) 
Speaker Nabih Berri (dpa) 

The US military intervention alongside Israel in its war against Iran has sparked growing concern in Lebanon, mixing fear with uncertainty about what lies ahead, especially as the region awaits Iran’s response.

Lebanese citizens are questioning whether Iran will retaliate solely against Israel or also strike nearby US military bases. Some speculate that Iran might avoid targeting American bases in neighboring countries that have shown solidarity with Tehran, as maintaining these relationships could help Iran push for an end to the war and a return to US-Iranian dialogue.

Despite mounting regional tension, Hezbollah continues to avoid direct military involvement. This position aligns with the recent statements of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who affirmed that Hezbollah will not intervene.

While some interpreted Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s pledge of “full support to Iran in any way we deem appropriate” as a divergence, sources say the party is fully aligned with Berri.

Berri maintains that dialogue between Washington and Tehran is the only path to halting the conflict and addressing Iran’s nuclear file. His stance is echoed by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and other political actors.

US envoy Thomas Barrack, currently stationed in Türkiye, reportedly discussed these matters with Lebanese officials and promised to return in three weeks, hoping for progress toward a ceasefire and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and for weapons to be under the exclusive control of the Lebanese state.

According to sources, the US escalation has prompted behind-the-scenes consultations between Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and Lebanese state officials. These talks aim to evaluate the situation and ensure Lebanon remains out of the regional conflict.

Hezbollah remains firm in its decision not to engage militarily, refusing to offer Israel a pretext to expand the war into Lebanon. Despite internal solidarity with Iran, Hezbollah is keenly aware that joining the war would not shift the military balance, which now involves advanced weaponry beyond its capabilities.

The sources added that the party is also mindful of Lebanese Shiite public sentiment, which favors stability over another devastating war. Memories of past conflicts, including the toll of Hezbollah’s support for Gaza, linger. Fears of displacement and economic ruin are driving many in Beirut’s southern suburbs to sell their homes, often at steep losses.