Gemayel, Geagea Hit Back at Aoun”s Fiery New Year”s Eve Statement

 
Former President Amin Gemayel and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea have hit back at accusations made by Gen. Michel Aoun that the two March 14 leaders had “blocked the Bkirki meeting” that had been aimed at achieving consensus among Christian leaders on a presidential candidate.

 

Gemayel accused the Hizbullah-led opposition of hindering presidential elections.

 

“If we go over the most recent statements made by the French and Egyptian presidents as well as Russian officials, we know that the opposition and Syria, not the majority, are responsible for obstructing the presidential elections,” Gemayel said Monday.

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday said that France will have no more contact with Syria until Damascus shows willingness to let Lebanon end its long-running political crisis and elect a new president.

 

“.. How does he allow himself to falsify the facts and go on with obstructing presidential elections?” a statement by Gemayel”s Phalange Party asked.

 

Geagea, in turn, criticized Aoun, saying he wished that the former army general “had relieved us on New Year”s Eve from his theories and tampering.”

 

Geagea said Aoun “polluted this day” with his unrealistic statements.

 

He pointed out that Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir had called for a broad Christian meeting “but Aoun did not accept and was against any measure (aimed at) arriving at a compromise president.”

 

Geagea expressed dismay “because Syria has a clever spokesman,” a reference to Aoun.

 

Aoun on Monday said Sfeir “does not represent the public opinion, but rather the Church.”

 

The Patriarch, Aoun said, “is free to express his opinion regarding the political situation … but he does not decide our constitutional powers on behalf of us.”

 

He also asked Sfeir to “clarify what is being said” about Bkirki”s support for Premier Fouad Saniora”s government.