Fouad Makhzoumi, President of the National Dialogue Party and Member of Parliament, led a delegation from the National Dialogue Party, the Makhzoumi Foundation, and the Beirut Dialogue Forum in a visit to Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud. The meeting focused on the situation in the capital and its needs.
Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said the visit was intended to congratulate the governor on assuming his new duties and to discuss pressing issues affecting the capital and its residents.
He stressed that the situation facing Beirut and its people could no longer be ignored, given the successive crises involving electricity, water, and the alarming rise in the cost of living.
Makhzoumi noted that financial assistance, which should have been distributed at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, had been significantly delayed and had lost much of its purchasing power due to the depreciation of the national currency. He added that the aid was being distributed selectively and without proper planning, allegedly to serve the interests of certain political groups, while overlooking other low-income families whose numbers continue to grow and who are now in urgent need of assistance.
He expressed concern about food security for the people of Beirut and Lebanese citizens in general, reiterating his questions about the measures being taken to address this issue.
Makhzoumi also called for the modernization of Beirut Municipality’s administration, emphasizing that digitalization was essential at this stage, particularly since the municipal council had been elected on the basis of improving and modernizing municipal operations.
Traffic Signals and Road Safety
Regarding malfunctioning traffic lights, Makhzoumi described the issue as a vital concern, stressing that traffic congestion was an extremely urgent problem, comparable in importance and severity to the electricity and water crises.
He added that residents were not concerned with the disputes between Beirut Municipality and the Traffic Management Authority; what mattered to them was effective traffic management to prevent accidents and ease severe congestion.
He also highlighted the need to ensure the regular supply of insecticides, noting that corruption, disorder, and forgery had seriously undermined the effective functioning of several important municipal sectors.
Beirut’s Green Spaces and Wastewater Infrastructure
Makhzoumi emphasized the need to give Beirut’s Horsh (Beirut Forest) the attention it deserves, recalling the draft law he had submitted to protect green spaces.
He further stated that he was still awaiting the implementation of his donation of pipes to Beirut Municipality, intended to address the problem caused by the overflow of sewage water in Ramlet al-Baida.
Makhzoumi urged the newly appointed governor to cooperate with the municipal council in the best interests of Beirut and its residents.