President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, visited the Grand Mufti of the Republic, His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, at Dar Al-Fatwa. He was accompanied by the Head of the National Dialogue Party’s Political Bureau and former Ambassador, Dr. Bassam Al-Naamani; the Party’s Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Duraid Oweidat; the Party’s Administrative Director, Mr. Talal Al-Qaisi; the Director General of the Makhzoumi Foundation, Samer Al-Safah; and lawyer Hassan Kashli. They discussed the general situation in Lebanon and the region.

Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said the visit was intended to congratulate His Eminence and all the Lebanese people on the cessation of the brutal war against Lebanon and the Israeli crimes committed against our people. He noted that recent developments indicate a lack of political will on the part of the government to implement the provisions of the ceasefire agreement. Clear evidence of this, he said, is that the government has yet to address the budget allocated to the Army, which is expected to deploy along the southern border. Nor has a security plan been put in place outlining how to operate and coordinate with the committee overseeing the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Makhzoumi stated that, from day one, the National Dialogue Party had opposed the war of support for Gaza declared by Hezbollah, just as it opposes any war of support in Syria. He stressed the importance of living under the authority of the state, with no political party permitted to govern part of the country according to its own agenda.

Makhzoumi called for the implementation of the Taif Agreement, which he described as a model for coexistence in Lebanon, and for the election of a capable and reform-minded president. He also called for the formation of a reform-oriented government and for Parliament to play an active role in passing the essential reforms needed to revive Lebanon. He stressed that individuals who contributed to the country’s destruction or were implicated in political or financial corruption scandals must not be allowed to return to government.

Makhzoumi called for a session dedicated to frank dialogue and reconciliation. He noted that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem had called on the state to exercise its authority, stressing that this positive appeal should be welcomed and built upon.