The coalition of "Forces of Change" deputies has launched a presidential initiative that outlines the basic specifications required for the next President of the Republic, along with a warning that if the parliamentary council exceeds the constitutional deadline without electing a new president who meets these specifications, the coalition will resort to available popular pressure methods. The coalition stated, "We have decided to approach public affairs in a productive manner to save the nation from this scenario after the state's sovereignty has been destroyed and our Arab relations have been assassinated, throwing us into external problems," pointing out that "the ruling system has targeted all the pillars of the state and we have a historical role today, one of which is to elect a new president."
The coalition considers that the presidential entitlement "must transform from a settlement entitlement into a case through which we elect a president who meets the changes that occurred after October 17, and this requires the concerted efforts and a return to the constitution and its application; this is the only solution for Lebanon." It emphasized that "no party should have control over Lebanon," rejecting the continuation of parties owning Lebanon. In order for our initiative to be successful on the eve of the presidential entitlement, it must transparently address the reality we have reached and extend a hand to others, and to prevent any vacuum, the entitlement must be Lebanese.
The coalition noted that "if the president does not meet our initiative's specifications, history will condemn us, and given the importance of this position, the president must be above divisions, maintaining Lebanon's sovereignty internally and externally, establishing a fair citizenship state, and preserving the state’s fundamentals." According to the initiative, the specifications for the president include "holding banks accountable for losses, adhering to the constitution, and ensuring the establishment of a new economic model with a recovery plan that preserves the free nature of the Lebanese economy."
In the framework of the specifications, the coalition also stated: "The new president must limit the obstruction of justice for the victims of the port explosion, end the culture of impunity, work on border demarcation, and restore balance to the parliamentary system and constitutional institutions." Regarding the next steps, the coalition clarified: "We will begin holding a series of popular and political consultations to present the presidential initiative in Lebanon and abroad, starting with the groups and parties that believe in the constants of October 17, reaching out to all forces to introduce a candidate that aligns with our presidential criteria, and we will reveal to the public the results of our tours; if the constitutional deadline passes without electing a president, we will resort to popular pressure methods."
