Samir Geagea announces resignation of his ministers from Hariri cabinet

The head of the Lebanese Forces Party Samir Geagea
said in a televised speech late on Saturday that the challenges facing the
country are unprecedented.
“We have not seen any serious intention by the
Lebanese officials to address the crises,” Geagea said.
Geagea announced the resignation of the Lebanese
Forces Party’s four ministers from Saad Hariri’s government.
The announcement came in a televised speech from the
LF party’s headquarters in Maarab following a bloc meeting.
Earlier on Saturday, Geagea said to Al Arabiya that
the resignation of President Michel Aoun at this stage will complicate things
further in the country.
Geagea said the problem in not in the Lebanese
political system but in the ruling majority.
He said “I think that with this ministerial majority
we cannot get anywhere.”
He added that any radical change in Lebanon begins
with the formation of a new government.
Geagea blamed Hezbollah for the current situation in
Lebanon.
He saluted the demonstrators in the South and Bekaa
regions - which are both considered strongholds for Hezbollah and Shia Amal
Movement - considering the popular movements in these areas as “very
respectable” and call for admiration, especially that it is clearly evident
that Hezbollah and Amal Movement do not want such movements in areas like
Nabatieh, Tyre, Kfarreman, and various Southern and Bekaa villages, the
Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Commenting on Hezbollah Secretary General’s speech
earlier on Saturday, Geagea said: “There is a clear contradiction in the words
of Hassan Nasrallah, in pointing to a huge confidence crisis between the people
and the state, on one hand, while calling for maintaining the current
government, on the other hand.”
Asked whether the 72-hour interval has weakened
Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s position, Geagea considered that “the Prime
Minister is determined to be positive until the last moment.” He added: “I
respect this, but I do not support it as the current ministerial majority is
hopeless.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Al Arabiya in late
April, Geagea said that Lebanon cannot be as effective and strong as a state as
long as Hezbollah continues to be armed.
In a related development, the Progressive Socialist
Party leader Walid Jumblatt denied on Saturday reports of his request to his
party’s ministers to resign from the Lebanese government.