How does a Hezbollah candidate threaten the political and economic future of Lebanon?
As the Hezollah terrorist organization seeks to impose its full control over Lebanon in accordance with the directives of its leaders in Iran, experts believe that Hezbollah’s support for a presidential candidate and its attempt to end the presidential vacuum is pushing Lebanon towards a new abyss that will increase the difficulties the Lebanese people are currently facing.
Lebanon is suffering from unparalleled political crises, including a vacant presidency for months, and other economic and political crises. Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah’s announcement of his party’s support for the arrival of former minister Suleiman Franjieh for the Lebanese presidency added to the situation of the country, which raises questions about the reactions of local, international and regional anti-Hezbollah forces. More than four months after the vacancy of the presidency, which was held by Hezbollah’s ally Michel Aoun, during whose reign the country plunged into an unprecedented economic collapse, Nasrallah said in a speech through the screen: “The natural candidate that the party supports in the presidential elections is considered to be Minister Suleiman Franjieh”.
Support for Hezbollah
This is the first time that Hezbollah has publicly announced its support for the candidacy of Suleiman Franjieh, a Maronite politician who has supported the party in all the steps it has taken in recent years, especially in Lebanon and Syria, despite the fact that for months he has been saying that he is its undeclared candidate and will work to obstruct the completion of the electoral process to ensure his victory. Franjieh became the second presidential candidate after MP Michel Moawad, who declared himself in the presidential race and described Hezbollah as a “challenge” candidate due to his proximity to the Americans.
Suleiman Frangieh is a former deputy minister who is a prominent Hezbollah ally and a personal friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and whose name is often floated as a candidate in every presidential election.
The Peril of Hezbollah Control
Ali Yahya, a Lebanese political researcher, said Lebanon is in a state of near-total disintegration. Hezbollah is the primary cause of what is happening in the country, and the collapse of all the state institutions that were still functioning, most of which have been infiltrated, he said, adding that there is only a presidency in Lebanon until Hezbollah controls it.
Yahya said: The state is no longer able to even collect its taxes from Hezbollah, which works in the arms trade and money laundering, which everyone knows. Imposing its control on the presidency will lead Lebanon to more crises as Lebanon becomes part of Iran which is now far from the world, which makes it more difficult for the people who are currently suffering severely from financial crises.
