Geagea Announces Cedar Revolution 2 and Names of Election Candidates
In a grand celebration Saturday, the Lebanese Forces (LF), headed by their leader Samir Geagea, announced the party”s election platform, launched its election campaign and revealed the names of its parliamentary candidates.
The celebration, which fell on the date of the 15th anniversary of the party”s disbanding by the Lebanese state in 1994 and held at the BIEL in Beirut, offered many testimonies by party members and supporters, all detailing the decades when Lebanon was under Syrian control and LF members were imprisoned by the state.
Geagea asked his audience, mainly composed of party members, March 14 Forces figures and supporters, "why were the LF the only political party to be disbanded? Because it is the first line of defense for Lebanon its people and independence."
He went on to add that, If LF members had been afraid, ineffective, a party that only sought high positions in government, or only sought wealth and power, than it would not have been disbanded.
"The disbanding of the LF, in practice, was a process of disbanding political life in Lebanon. Freedoms were suppressed and the decision making process in the country was taken away by some Lebanese and Syrian officials," Geagea said.
He referred to a time when Lebanese citizens were afraid and desperate by saying "we all know how negotiations were made over Lebanese issues on non-Lebanese territories without the Lebanese."
The LF leader added that the trend continued to move against history until the 14 of March 2005, "when all the chains were broken." He was referring to a major rally on that day by a large group of Lebanese against the Syrian presence and the Karami cabinet following the assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri which gave birth to the March 14 movement and the cedar revolution.
"The worst thing that anyone could do in Lebanon is deny the importance and ramifications of the cedar revolution," Geagea said.
He went on to add that all that was achieved up until now is due to the first cedar revolution.
"We are in dire need for a second cedar revolution for our independence is not complete. Our sovereignty remains lacking. And strategic decision making is not made by constitutional institutions," he said.
Geagea went on to outline the LF election platform:
1. Ensuring Lebanon”s complete independence and the demarcation of the borders, starting with the Shebaa Farms.
2. Ensuring full state sovereignty, meaning no state parallel to the Lebanese state, and refusing to recognize the "duality of weapons."
3. Commitment to U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680 and 1701.
4. Commitment to the Special Tribunal and adoption of all the international treaties related to its work.
5. Moving away from any regional and international axis policies while maintaining an open and effective policy with Lebanon”s Arab neighbors.
6. Settling the issue of Palestinian arms inside and outside of Palestinian refugee camps as per the understanding of the 2006 national dialogue sessions.
7. Taking all necessary measures to prevent the naturalization of the Palestinians, by all means.
8. Having good and normalized diplomatic relations with Syria while reconsidering the Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination treaties with Syria; canceling the Higher Lebanese-Syrian Council.
9. Placing the issue of Lebanese detainees in Syria on the agenda of any negotiations or discussions with Syria.
10. Returning to normal and equal institutional work in a constitutional manner.
11. Bringing a real balance to all state administrations and institutions through a process of equal political shares in government and constitutional institutions as per the Taef accord.
12. Reconsidering the citizenship law, especially for expatriates” rights.
13. Achieving wide administrative and developmental decentralization for ushering in stability by removing the struggle for power; implementation of sustainable development.
14. Strengthening the role of women in public and political life.
15. Strengthening the state”s care for its farmers and laborers, providing good medical care to its citizens by producing a full health program; protecting the rights of children, protecting education programs at schools and universities and protecting our distinguished culture.
He went on to add: "I will not promise you anything because the conditions in our country are difficult and complicated. I promise that we will not spare any effort or blood to achieve this project."
Geagea introduced the LF candidates as: Strida Geagea and Elie Keyrouz in the Bcharre district; Farid Habib in Koura; Antoine Zahra in Batroun; George Adwan in the Chouf; Eddy Abillama in the Metn; Richard Kouyoumdjian in the Beirut I district; Robert Khoury in Zahrani; and Michel Salloun in Baalbek.