Beirut (Al Ittihad, Agencies)
The Maronite Patriarch, Beshara Al-Rahi, criticized the terrorist Hezbollah militia’s launch of drones towards the Karish oil field, again refusing to tamper with the entitlement of the presidential elections, describing the postponement of the formation of the government as an act of sabotage.
During his speech in his weekly Sunday sermon yesterday, Al-Rahi called for the election of a statesman above the lineups, axes and parties, considering that the failure to facilitate the formation of a new government with full constitutional powers is an act of sabotage that leads to keeping the de-facto forces in control of the national decision and the fate of Lebanon.
Al-Rahi talked about the problems that Lebanon suffers from, one of which is “the constant evasiveness and indifference regarding the issue of government formation,” explaining in this regard that not facilitating the formation of a new government with full constitutional powers and representative nationally, politically and charterly is an act of sabotage.
He explained that “leaving the country without a government at the end of the era and on the eve of the presidential elections, inevitably leads to weakening the representative character of Lebanese legitimacy as a national reference for negotiations with the international community.”
Patriarch Al-Rahi said that “this would increase the collapse of the state and people’s anger, as it would make the region’s conflicts and settlements take place at the expense of Lebanon, as has been the case in recent decades.”
On the subject of the upcoming presidential elections, Al-Rahi said: “We reject the manipulation of the presidential entitlement, and we adhere to the necessity of respecting this entitlement in its constitutional time, and electing a president who is politically experienced and experienced, respected, courageous and impartial, a statesman who is neutral in his integrity and committed to his patriotism. It is above the lineups, axes and parties, and does not pose a challenge to anyone, and is able to exercise the role of national, constitutional and moral reference.”
He stressed that gathering the disputants must set the country on the path to real salvation and positive change.
On the issue of the border dispute between Lebanon and Israel, Al-Ra’i criticized the “Hezbollah marches” which he launched two weeks ago and almost toppled the negotiations between the two countries.
Al-Rahi considered that “the success of these negotiations depends mainly on the strength of the unity of the Lebanese position behind the legitimacy, and on not disturbing it and exposing it to failure in a very delicate circumstance. The state cannot negotiate, and others are examining the negotiations militarily.”
Israel had recently announced that it had intercepted three Hezbollah drones that were heading to the gas fields in the Mediterranean.
These rallies came at a time when efforts are continuing to resume negotiations between Lebanon and Israel regarding the maritime borders, which had begun in May 2020, with American mediation.
Last June, President Aoun commissioned Najib Mikati to form a new government based on the result of parliamentary consultations, as he obtained 54 votes from the parliament’s votes, and since then the government has not been formed.
Lebanon is facing an unprecedented financial and economic crisis that has led to a significant increase in poverty rates, as the national currency collapsed against the dollar, and the prices of goods, foodstuffs and services rose dramatically.
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