Fouad Makhzoumi, Head of the National Dialogue Party and Member of Parliament, accompanied by his political adviser, Dr. Carol Zouein, visited Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai at the Patriarchal See in Bkerke to congratulate him on Easter. They also discussed the overall situation in Lebanon.
Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said: “The visit was an opportunity to congratulate His Beatitude on Easter and discuss the country’s domestic situation amid the escalating health, economic, and financial crises.” He stressed “the importance of the role of religious leaders in helping the country overcome these crises and urging the government to assume its responsibilities toward citizens during these difficult circumstances on all fronts.”
He added: “The government’s responsibility toward the people is even greater under the general mobilization measures, as it has obligations toward daily wage workers, the unemployed, and those whose funds are frozen in banks.”
Emphasizing that “supporting people and helping them withstand the cost-of-living crisis they are experiencing is the government’s duty,” he said: “It is unacceptable to force the Lebanese people to pay, out of their personal savings, for the state funds that were looted by the political establishment that ruled them for 30 years.”
He also expressed his rejection of “all forms of bullying and unlawful seizure of people’s money, including haircuts and similar measures imposed on their deposits, which have been frozen illegally.”
Makhzoumi warned the government that “failure to hold the thieves accountable will lead to chaos.” He stressed “the need to fulfill the demands of the October 17 Revolution by recovering the looted funds.” He added that “if there had been a genuine intention to recover these funds, Banque du Liban would have disclosed the names of those involved in these operations.” He called on “honorable lawyers to form a legal committee to pursue the corrupt and recover these funds.”
He announced that he was visiting religious authorities, beginning with Dar al-Fatwa and continuing that day with Bkerke, “to bring efforts together so that we can stand united before the Lebanese people during these difficult times.”