Editing Samir Geagea (section)

=== Candidacy for presidency (2014) ===
In 2014, Geagea declared his candidacy for the Lebanese presidential elections to succeed President [[Michel Suleiman]], whose 6-year term was to end on 25 May 2014. Geagea enjoyed the comprehensive political backing of the [[March 14 Alliance]] for the presidency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/is-samir-geagea-the-next-president-of-lebanon-1.1314397|title=Is Samir Geagea the next president of Lebanon?|website=gulfnews.com|date=4 April 2014 }}</ref> [[Free Patriotic Movement]]'s MP Michel Aoun said that he would insist on holding the parliamentary election on schedule if [[Future Movement]]'s [[Saad Hariri]] did not support his candidacy for the presidency or if a new president will not be elected before September.<ref>{{cite news |title=Aoun wants either Hariri's support or Parliament elections |work=[[The Daily Star (Lebanon)|The Daily Star]] |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/May-30/258219-aoun-wants-either-hariris-support-or-parliament-elections.ashx |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> Geagea challenged Aoun to run against him or move to a "plan B" that would enable a consensual candidate that is not considered partisan as being from either of the two political alliances, which, in addition to the two, are [[Kataeb Party|Phalange]]'s Amine Gemayel and [[Marada Movement]]'s Suleiman Frangieh.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 May 2014 |title=Geagea challenges Aoun to run against him or move to plan B |url=http://yalibnan.com/2014/05/29/geagea-challenges-aoun-run-move-plan-b/ |access-date=20 July 2014 |publisher=Ya Libnan}}</ref>

After the sixth round of voting failed, [[Lebanese Democratic Party]] leader [[Talal Arslan]] suggested that the president should be directly elected by the people. In doing so, he said: "The presidential crisis is a major insult to the Lebanese nation. {{sic}} The only way to save the nation and restore respect to the presidency is by holding the election directly by the people."<ref>{{cite news |title=President should be elected by the people: Arslan |work=[[The Daily Star (Lebanon)|The Daily Star]] |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Jun-09/259427-president-should-be-elected-by-the-people-arslan.ashx |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> Lebanese Forces MP [[Antoine Zahra (legislator)|Antoine Zahra]] added that Geagea remained the party's candidate.

However, the country entered into a 2 years presidential deadlock, which ended in 2016,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/lebanon-ends-presidential-deadlock-lasting-consensus-key-02-11-2016|title=Lebanon Ends Presidential Deadlock; Lasting Consensus Key|access-date=2021-02-14|website=www.fitchratings.com}}</ref> with Geagea backing up his longtime rival Michel Aoun for the presidency after fellow March 14 member [[Saad al Hariri]] had decided to back March 8 candidate [[Suleiman Frangieh Jr]]<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-lebanon-idUSKCN0UW24V | title=Geagea reshapes Lebanese politics, backs rival Aoun | first=Tom | last=Perry | date=18 January 2016 | publisher=Reuters| access-date=28 June 2018 }}</ref> through the [[Maarab Agreement|Maarab Accord]]. Aoun was elected president, ending more than two years of [[2014–2016 Lebanese presidential election|presidential vacuum]].