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 party’s Political Bureau President and former Ambassador, Dr. Bassam al-Naamani; the party’s Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Duraid Oueidat; Supreme Islamic Sharia Council member Mr. Kamel Dimyati; the National Dialogue Party’s Administrative Director, Mr. Talal al-Qaisi; and the Director General of the Makhzoumi Foundation, Mr. Samer al-Safah. They discussed matters concerning Dar al-Fatwa and the general situation in the country.

Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said that the visit was intended to congratulate His Eminence on the occasion of the Islamic New Year, expressing his hope that it would be a year of goodness and peace for the people of Lebanon and throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds. He also addressed the situation in Palestine and the massacres being committed against Palestinians, expressing hope for a solution that would bring the ongoing brutal war to an end.

Makhzoumi noted that the foremost concern for Lebanese officials is ending the war, particularly given its significant repercussions for Lebanon, especially as approximately 100,000 Lebanese people have now been displaced from their homes in the south. He stated: “We are living under a caretaker government that is failing to fulfill even its most basic duties to address the situation or stop the war.”

Makhzoumi also discussed with His Eminence the restoration of the proper functioning of state institutions, emphasizing that this process must begin with the election of a President of the Republic. He referred to his meeting, alongside opposition MPs, with the five-nation committee, with the aim of ensuring the implementation of the Constitution through the election of a president.

He stated that the opposition was preparing to launch a roadmap that would be discussed with all parliamentary blocs and the five-nation committee. While thanking the committee for its efforts to bring the positions of political forces closer together, he called on all parties to cooperate in electing a president for Lebanon, particularly given that the caretaker government is incapable of making decisions or implementing the necessary reforms to help the country overcome its crises and recover.

Makhzoumi also addressed the country’s social conditions, particularly in Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon, the Western Bekaa, and other areas neglected by the state. He called for cooperation to rebuild the country and promote development across all Lebanese regions.