President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, visited the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, at Dar al-Fatwa. He was accompanied by the party’s Political Bureau Head and former Ambassador, Dr. Bassam Naamani; the party’s Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Dureid Oueidat; the party’s Administrative Director, Mr. Talal Qaisi; the Director General of the Makhzoumi Foundation, Samer Safah; and lawyer Hassan Kashli. They discussed the general situation in Lebanon and the region.

Following the meeting, Makhzoumi said the visit was intended to congratulate His Eminence and all Lebanese on the end of the barbaric war against Lebanon and the Israeli crimes committed against the Lebanese people.

He noted that recent developments indicate a lack of political will on the part of the government to implement the provisions of the ceasefire agreement. He cited as clear evidence the government’s failure, to date, to discuss the budget allocated to the Lebanese Army, which is expected to deploy along the southern border. He also pointed out that no security plan has been developed outlining how operations would be conducted and coordinated with the committee overseeing the implementation of Resolution 1701.

Makhzoumi stated that, from the outset, they had opposed Hezbollah’s so-called “Gaza support war,” and that they also opposed any similar war in support of Syria. He stressed the need for everyone to live under the authority of the state, with no political party taking it upon itself to administer part of the state according to its own agenda.

Makhzoumi called for the implementation of the Taif Agreement, which he described as a model for coexistence in Lebanon, and for the election of a capable and reform-minded president. He also called for the formation of a reform-oriented government and for Parliament to play an active role in passing the reforms necessary to revive Lebanon. He stressed that individuals who contributed to the country’s destruction or were implicated in political or financial corruption scandals should not be brought back into government.

Makhzoumi called for a frank dialogue aimed at reconciliation, noting that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem had called on the state to exercise its authority. He stressed that this positive call should be welcomed and used as a basis for moving forward.