The Hezbollah party escalated its rhetoric on Monday warning its political rivals in Lebanon of the repercussions of failing to support its presidential candidate, Marada leader Sueliman Franjieh, for the presidency. Hezbollah has endorsed Franjieh for the top state post in return for appointing Former President of the United Nations Security Council Nawwaf Salam as prime minister. On Monday, senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, said that crisis-hit Lebanon is passing through what he described as “a very dangerous stage,” and that the country is heading towards “chaos”, urging its rivals to head with the election of Franjieh as a solution for the crisis and presidential vacuum. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of former president Michel Aoun ended on October 30. France reportedly has been supporting the proposal for the election of Franjieh as president and the appointment of Salam as premier. Safieddine said that the state’s institutions, including the judiciary, are “incapable” of carrying out their normal routine duties in light of what he said were “futile negotiations and accumulating conflicts.” Indirectly warning its rivals to agree on Franjieh, he stated: “If the Lebanese do not quickly grasp what is being proposed, the time will come when they lose that privilege… Delay does not fall in their interest because they lost their confidence cards.” Major Christian parties in Lebanon, mainly the Kataeb party and the Lebanese Forces, reject Hezbollah-backed Franjieh as candidate for the top state post. The Hezbollah official also urged its rivals “not to waste more time,” and to “decide today on the candidate closest to winning the presidency, through dialogue and easing the predicaments in order to save the country.” Unnamed sources linked Hezbollah’s rhetoric to the latest positions made by LF leader Samir Geagea. Geagea and his allies vowed to obstruct any parliament sessions that could lead to the election of Franjieh as President. The Our Lady of the Mountain, another Christian group, urged during its periodic meeting on Monday “all opposition groups (to Hezbollah) in Parliament and outside the parliament to meet and contribute to creating a political quorum.” They demanded the eradication of Iranian “occupation” (hinting at Hezbollah’s influence), and invited parties to adhere to the Constitution, the National Accord and the decisions of the Arab and international legitimacy.