President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, visited the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese 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, former Ambassador Dr. Bassam Naamani; the party’s Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Duraid Oweidat; member of the Higher Islamic Sharia Council, Mr. Kamel Dimyati; the party’s Administrative Director, Mr. Talal Qaisi; and lawyer Hassan Kashli. They discussed the general situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as the latest developments regarding the war in Lebanon.
Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said that the visit was intended to offer congratulations on the spiritual summit that had been held, which, he stressed, should serve as a model for everyone involved in public affairs. He emphasized that the interests of the country must take precedence over all other considerations.
He added that he had discussed two issues with His Eminence: first, the urgent need to end the war against Lebanon; and second, the presidential election, without which it would be impossible to form an effective government to replace the current caretaker government or reactivate Parliament’s work, thereby setting Lebanon on the right path.
Regarding the situation in Beirut, Makhzoumi stressed that our hearts and homes must remain open to our displaced compatriots. However, he pointed out that serious shortcomings were evident in the management of the displacement crisis, amid encroachments in the capital and the absence of any effective role by the security forces and the Ministry of Interior in controlling the situation.
Makhzoumi also highlighted the formal question he had submitted to the government concerning the fate of the aid provided to Lebanon by numerous countries. He noted that distress calls from shelters were growing louder because of severe shortages of basic necessities, including food, clothing, and bedding, particularly with colder weather approaching. He also pointed out that some families had remained in their villages without receiving any assistance.
Furthermore, he noted that economic and social life in Beirut had been brought to a standstill. He questioned why Beirut residents who had also suffered the consequences of the war and displacement were receiving no support. Expressing his rejection of the current situation, he stressed the need for the government to reassess its handling of the crisis.
Makhzoumi called on the Prime Minister, the Minister of Interior, and the various political forces represented in the caretaker government not to neglect the residents who had opened their homes to displaced people. He also stressed the need to put an end to encroachments on private and public property to prevent the country from sliding into internal clashes and security chaos, which would serve no one’s interests.
He concluded by renewing his call for the election of a President of the Republic and an end to the war into which Lebanon had been dragged despite not having chosen to be a party to it.