BEIRUT, Lebabnon - Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Hezbollah of seeking to restore Syrian influence over Lebanon.

Geagea said the anti-government March 8 camp was "hampering (the election process) …. because it is trying to restore Syria's influence over Lebanon."

In an interview with New TV late Thursday, Geagea pointed out that Hezbollah "in line with a strategic thinking wants to reinstate the Syrian umbrella over Lebanon because it has big plans that require an umbrella to protect it."

He said Hezbollah's "scope of operation is farther than Lebanon. It starts from al Maghreb and ends in Pakistazn."

Geagea said Hezbollah's concerns were unlike those of the Lebanese government "whose only concern is the Lebanese people."

Geagea stressed the need to elect Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman as President "since he is a compromise" candidate "and (since) there is nothing to prevent this step from being achieved, and the rest of the issues would be discussed afterward."

He also urged Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun to meet him as head of the Lebanese Forces on "the presidential election issue without preconditions." -Naharnet