Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Deryan, received the President of the "Change Movement" Party, Eli Mahfoud, accompanied by a delegation from the party. After the meeting, Mahfoud stated: "They do not want the constitution, nor the Taif Agreement, nor do they adhere to the law, nor do they pay attention to the decisions of the United Nations. If you do not want the army, then what do you want? A state tailored to your needs and at your expense?"
He added: "When we talk about respecting Lebanon's sovereignty, its territorial integrity, its unity, and its political independence under the authority of the Lebanese government alone, we are speaking about Resolution 1559. When we talk about the necessity of withdrawing all remaining foreign forces in Lebanon, we are discussing Resolution 1559. When we speak of dissolving and disarming all Lebanese militias, we refer to Resolution 1559. We support the Lebanese government’s control over all Lebanese territories and the need for a free and fair electoral process in the upcoming presidential elections according to the rules of the Lebanese constitution without foreign intervention or influence. All of these points are encompassed in Resolution 1559."
He remarked that "since 2005 and the moment of Rafik Hariri's assassination, there has been no surge in development or reconstruction in the state; in fact, they have not left any landmarks of the state for the Lebanese to live a decent life, just like other peoples of the world. Yet, we are forbidden to live." Mahfoud continued, "This cannot continue, and I say this today to friends and allies before adversaries. There are 100 unresolved issues, and we cannot even break through to action. If you do not want the republic or the constitution or the Taif Agreement, tell us so; do not talk to anyone, and if someone speaks up, you only have the language of betrayal, threats, and the gun on the table."
He concluded: "As for what the Lebanese army has faced, there are those who must apologize to the army leadership and to General Joseph Aoun in particular. This apology is necessary because there are groups that accused and went to the judiciary, and it turned out that all their accusations were baseless. They should be ashamed to apologize, and it is not a disgrace to apologize following the smear campaign they conducted."
