President of the National Dialogue Party and MP Fouad Makhzoumi visited President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace.
Following the meeting, Makhzoumi stressed that Lebanon’s security, beginning with Beirut, and the protection of the Lebanese people must be the top priorities at this critical juncture. He presented His Excellency with an overview of key national issues relating to sovereignty, security, and reform, emphasizing that the Lebanese people cannot be protected by slogans, but by decisions—particularly after witnessing Lebanese citizens being used as human shields in several areas. This makes an immediate shift toward practical and exceptional measures imperative.
In this context, Makhzoumi stressed the need to convene an urgent meeting of the Higher Defense Council, adopt exceptional security measures, and raise the level of readiness to its highest level. He also called for strengthening the Lebanese Army’s deployment, decisively activating the role of security and intelligence agencies, requiring the proper registration of all tenants and occupants, and subjecting vacant apartments to regular monitoring. He further called for stringent penalties, including imprisonment, for any unauthorized rental or occupancy.
Makhzoumi emphasized the need to implement the Beirut Security Plan he proposed on March 25 and place the capital under the state’s full authority, considering this an essential step toward establishing stability. He stressed that protecting Beirut is fundamental to protecting Lebanon.
Regarding southern Lebanon, Makhzoumi underscored the importance of not abandoning residents who have insisted on remaining in their villages and ensuring a tangible state presence alongside them, so as to avoid repeating past experiences in which citizens were left to face their fate alone.
On matters of sovereignty, Makhzoumi stated that any defiance of the decisions of the Lebanese state, including statements and actions by the Iranian ambassador, requires decisive measures. These should begin with withdrawing his diplomatic status and could extend to suspending diplomatic relations with Iran if challenges to the state’s authority persist. He stressed that Lebanon’s sovereignty is non-negotiable.
Makhzoumi also expressed his support for the President’s initiative, emphasizing the need to pursue a clear political path to end the recurring cycle of wars through direct negotiations aimed at bringing the ongoing war, which is draining Lebanon’s resources and capabilities, to an end.
On the economic front, Makhzoumi stressed the need for the government to adopt a clear strategy and develop a comprehensive plan for the post-war period. He noted that reliance on foreign aid is no longer sufficient, making a serious and responsible domestic approach essential to rescuing the national economy.
Within the broader national context, Makhzoumi reiterated the need to ensure that decisions of war and peace remain exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state, fully implement international resolutions without selectivity, restore full sovereignty, and reject any reality outside the framework of constitutional legitimacy. He also emphasized the importance of protecting public order, strengthening domestic stability, and adopting a comprehensive national approach to addressing crises, including displacement, in a manner that safeguards balance and justice throughout Lebanon, starting with Beirut.
Makhzoumi pointed out that the security measures previously proposed at the Beirut Emergency Operations Room following the incidents in Aisha Bakkar and Raouche have yet to be translated into concrete action, despite the urgent need for their implementation.
Makhzoumi concluded by stressing that the current phase can no longer tolerate delays. He affirmed that extending the state’s full authority is the only way to guarantee the security of the Lebanese people, warning that every further delay is no longer measured in time, but in bloodshed.