The president of the "Free Patriotic Movement," Deputy Gebran Bassil, during a press conference, pointed out that "the Free Patriotic Movement, out of commitment to the unity of Lebanon and concern for the state, adheres to Greater Lebanon and rejects any diminishment of Lebanon. We once again call for a national dialogue that results in a comprehensive national project to develop the Lebanese system. Our project stems from the National Accord Document and the Taif Agreement, not to nullify them but to apply and develop them and address their shortcomings, the first of which are the deadlines, and the approval of a new internal system for the Parliament and the Cabinet, the establishment of a Council of Elders, and unifying personal status laws, among others—briefly, a system based on a civil state with extensive decentralization."
He stated: "September 1, 1920, marks the birth of the Lebanese state for the first time in history. Everything before it, be it an emirate, two qaimmaqamate, or a mutasarrifate, was not a state and may serve as the root of the problem in Lebanon. There is a disagreement about the birth of the state and about Greater Lebanon; some did not want a state, and some do not want Greater Lebanon at all, but want it small. September 1 should be a national occasion as important as November 22; without the first, the second would not exist, and to this day, the approval of a law to enshrine the holiday, the memory, and the idea is being refused despite it being our history and something we are proud of."
He continued: "Our current system is a source of weakness for the unity of Lebanon and for state establishment; it generates problems, not solutions. We have a written project that we present for discussion, and it generates solutions. Unfortunately, we are currently living in a 'they won’t let us' system, and we want to transition from it to a system that 'allows us.' The head of this system and the controlling apparatus practices a 'they won’t let us' policy, and instead of being ashamed, they boastfully project their flaws onto us."
He believed that "the entire system agrees on not approving the capital control law because it continues to smuggle money abroad and views it as legitimate since no law prohibits it. Tomorrow, they will claim that the movement does not want capital control." Regarding the port explosion, he viewed that the Higher Judicial Council and its president, specifically some judges, are responsible for hindering the course of justice; it is upon their conscience and accountability to stop the unjust and arbitrary detention, or even the kidnapping, of several innocent employees who performed their duties. He called for ending the investigation and issuing an indictment while stopping the negligence regarding two matters: the trade of ammonium and who benefits from it, and the potential destructive actions and who committed them. It is unacceptable to settle for malfeasance that has become a political vendetta against specific political factions, and if we agree to a paralyzed Lebanese judiciary, we agree to resort to a non-Lebanese judiciary.”
He continued: "Regarding the theft of the Lebanese people's money, we will increasingly turn to judiciary outside the country because the Lebanese judiciary is afraid or involved, with some judges being corrupt, and also, the head of the Cassation Court is silent, and the Minister of Justice is obliged to conduct an investigation by the judicial inspection regarding the failure to impose seizures and the necessary judicial cooperation."
Concerning the government matter, Bassil said: "The collapse cannot be halted, and the economy cannot be revived without an independent judiciary, structural reform, and actual measures on the ground. We want a serious recovery plan that equitably distributes losses, unifies the exchange rate, and implements the actual return of the Syrian refugees, for the Lebanese economy cannot thrive without the return of the refugees. The designated Prime Minister previously announced that he assumes the powers of the President amidst the vacancy. We reiterate that this is a government lacking the powers of the new Parliament, and we will not recognize the legitimacy of the resigned government after the end of the President's term. We will consider the government then as an usurper of power, lacking legitimacy, and it is fallen council-wise, constitutionally, pact-wise, and popularly, whatever its supporters might be, even if the whole world gathered to support it against us. We will consider it illegitimate, 'do not drag us to what we do not want,' and the Prime Minister is welcome to form a government according to the rules in partnership with the President, not through imposition or scraps. The history of Michel Aoun cannot be erased in two months."
He added: "The government during vacancy, whether its number is 24 or 30, each minister in it is a president. This is the constitution and the practice reality. Whoever thinks that they will be rid of Michel Aoun in the presidency will encounter more than Michel Aoun in the government when it comes down to it. 'Whatever the case may be,' the government, and whoever believes that not forming a government will exert pressure on us to elect a president is mistaken! Because we have declared that we do not want a vacuum."
Bassil continued: "The Maronite president must first have a Christian representation and use it to gain Islamic legitimacy, not as some see cried out on the importance of the Christian role based on imposed Islamic legitimacy that they do not possess and being devoid of Christian representation. 'He who enjoys only Christian representation cannot lie about the national legitimacy and that all areas and people are alike in the presidency. His only goal is to rid us of them, repeating the same scenario he did in the nineties.'"
He emphasized the necessity to form a government and to elect a president in these two months, saying, "The president should leave with dignity by October 31, and we move to a national dialogue in which we discuss Lebanon's place, its system, and the free, productive economic and financial model. We propose a free, productive economic and financial model in agriculture, tourism, industry, and services, encouraging individual initiative and creative energies, based on a banking system that promotes investment and production, not rent-seeking and complacency. We propose a model supported strongly by our oil, gas, water, solar, wind, human, and expatriate resources and all our facilities and spaces, and our sea and air. Our resources are abundant, and we will not relinquish them; we will preserve them as they are national, brave, and strong, and a balance of power no matter the cost because they protect us against Israel and any aggressor toward us, before or after the Israeli elections, before the end of the term or after it. We have been patient long enough, and our will is unshakeable whatsoever."
