President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, accompanied by Political Advisor Carol Zouein, visited Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai at the patriarchal headquarters in Bkerke. They discussed the general situation in Lebanon.

Following the meeting, Makhzoumi told His Beatitude that it was their duty to stand united in calling for an accelerated election of a president of the republic, particularly since they all shared the goal of electing a sovereign president capable of leading Lebanon toward recovery. He stressed that all the efforts made by MPs, including their commitment to remaining inside Parliament, were of little consequence compared with the need to free the country from the deliberate deadlock and stagnation imposed by certain parties in power, amid the ongoing deterioration of the economic and social situation.

Makhzoumi stated that the living conditions of Lebanese citizens could no longer be ignored, noting that the US dollar had exceeded 55,000 Lebanese pounds and a 20-liter canister of gasoline had surpassed one million Lebanese pounds.

He stressed that electing a president and forming an effective government with a clear reform plan and programme were essential to ending the suffering and crises faced by the Lebanese people. Such a government, he added, must be capable of coordinating with the international community, restoring Lebanon’s standing among successful nations, and rebuilding its relations with Arab countries, foremost among them the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For all these reasons, Makhzoumi emphasized that Parliament must remain in session until a president is elected.