Samir Geagea, the leader of Lebanon's Christian Lebanese Forces LF party, speaks to reporters on November 29, 2021 at his residence in Maarab, Lebanon. One of Lebanon's main Christian politicians accused foe Hezbollah of trying to postpone a parliamentary election set for March over electoral losses, warning that such a move would condemn Lebanon to a slow death Western donors that Lebanon is relying on to stem its financial implosion. Politicians from all sides, including Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, have said it should happen otherwise the country's standing would be dealt a further blow.
A leader of the Lebanese Forces and an ally of Saudi Arabia pointed the finger at Hezbollah and its ally Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement for moving to delay it because they are near certain that they will lose their parliamentary majority. Aoun said this month he would not sign authorisation for the vote to be held on March 27 because the date was too early. Asked whether a postponement would lead to more fighting between the Lebanese Forces and Hezbollah last month, Geagea said: Not fighting, but to more slow death. With the current way things are going, the state institutions -- and thus the state -- are dissolving day by day, he told Reuters at his residence in the mountains overlooking the coastal town of Jounieh.
Lebanon has no reliable opinion polling but Geagea's party is expected to make gains, with the Free Patriotic Movement expected to lose seats, potentially robbing Hezbollah of its majority, despite the fact that Lebanon has no reliable opinion polling takes place.
Without an election to shake up parliament, you will see more of the same Geagea said. Nearly 80% of the people in the world are in poverty because of the economic meltdown, according to the United Nations.
The Libyan government, formed by most major political parties in September following a 13 month period of political turmoil, has not convened in nearly 50 days amid a push by Hezbollah and its allies to remove the judge investigating the deadly August 2020 Beirut port blast.
Lebanon is facing a blast of Gulf Arab anger after a prominent broadcaster-turned-minister levelled blunt criticism at Saudi Arabia, a row that has strained Beirut's relations with once generous benefactors.
Geagea said Hezbollah's increasing influence was the main problem behind the rift that is harmful for Lebanon's economy, and that he was close to the Saudi ambassador in Beirut.
He said that the Gulf and Saudi Arabia are economic lungs for Lebanon.
Geagea's Lebanese Forces are the second largest Christian party in parliament. Since a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019, it has stayed out of the cabinet.
But the group was thrust back into the headlines when tensions over the probe erupted into the worst street violence in more than a decade last month, reviving memories of the country's 1975 -- 90 civil war.
Seven people, all followers of Hezbollah and its ally Amal, were killed.
Hezbollah accused the Lebanese Forces of ambushing its supporters at the protest. Geagea confirmed that supporters of his party, along with others, were involved in the clashes, but denied that the move was pre-meditated and blamed Hezbollah for entering Beirut's mostly Christian Ain al-Remmaneh neighbourhood, a strong support base for the Lebanese Forces.
During Lebanon's civil war, the Lebanese Forces, under Geagea, were a right-wing militia that controlled swathes of territory including eastern Beirut.
After October's clashes, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused it of trying to start a sectarian conflict and warned Hezbollah had 100,000 fighters at his disposal.
Geagea denied Nasrallah's allegation that the Lebanese Forces had 15,000 fighters, saying the party had 35,000 members of whom only some had personal arms and perhaps more than 10,000 had military training.
Geagea said the Lebanese forces did not seek a physical confrontation with Hezbollah and were not concerned about the breakout of sectarian violence due to the role of the Lebanese army in maintaining civil peace.
He said that he had limited movement and was not leaving his mountain residence in Maarab due to security threats, but he didn't give any further details.