Christian leader Samir Geagea defied Hizbullah and its supporters to prove loyalty for Lebanon before demanding a change in government, insisting that allegiance to Syria would not achieve national unity.
In a massive rally that featured tens of thousands of Christians, Geagea said it was impossible for any Lebanese faction "to act unilaterally and demand a national unity government. They have to first accept national unity and then demand a government of national unity," Geagea said at the rally in the Kisrwan stronghold of Harissa.
The rally came two days after Hizbullah held a massive demonstration in Beirut attended by hundreds of thousands to celebrate its victory in the latest war with Israel.
Geagea sent a strong warning to Hizbullah that its refusal to disarm was the main cause of recent divisions in Lebanon, reminiscent of the splits that caused the 1975 civil war. "The nation shall rise only when we find a solution to the weapons … there can not be a state competing with a statelet," he said, according to Naharnet.
He asked "are we still in need of resistance? No, we need to champion a political resistance, a resistance that relies on intellect not missiles and unity not schism…."
Indirectly referring to Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speech on Friday, Geagea said "Before demanding a national unity government they must work to achieve national unity," Geagea said. "They can not take pride in relations with Syria and at the same time claim allegiance to Lebanon."
