Gemayel: French Proposal Is Back to Square One, No One Should Act Alone in Responding to Le Drian

Kataeb Leader Samy Gemayel stated that the French proposal was back to square one, saying that there is an attempt to establish a new mechanism to reach a result through proposing the specifications and the role of the president in the upcoming stage.

Regarding the dialogue, Gemayel said in an television interview: "There is an initiative, but there is no clarity about the mechanism. The French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will make adjustments according to the feedback if there is no final vision."

"In September, talks will be held about the specifications and the role of the president, after that a parliamentary session will take place," he explained.

He emphasized that "the unity of the opposition is a point of strength, so no one should act alone in responding to Le Drian without consultation."

"We asked Le Drian if Hezbollah is ready to meet us halfway. If that's the case, it means that wide doors are opened to reach a result. But if Hezbollah insists on nominating Sleiman Frangieh, then what is the point of the dialogue? If the discussion is about convincing us to accept Frangieh as president, then there is no need to talk about the dialogue," he noted.

"Once Hezbollah accepts Le Drian's conditions, practically, it would have given up on Frangieh," Gemayel emphasized.

"Talking about specifications means excluding Frangieh's nomination. Therefore, we need to make room for consultation and see everyone's readiness. We always extend our hand," he concluded.