Eli Maafoud, the head of the Change Movement party, stated that the Lebanese state is kidnapped and must be liberated. His remarks came during a meeting with Lebanese expatriates in France, organized by the Lebanese Forces party office in Paris. Maafoud said, "We used to call on you to return to your homeland, but today I tell you that your homeland is kidnapped by an Iranian militia that has devoured every institution and has ruined relations with all of Lebanon's friendly states. Despite this pessimistic atmosphere, we must continuously strive towards a Lebanese idea that encompasses all Lebanese people. The experiences of isolation have not created a nation but have instead solidified failed models of state management. The Iranian militia experiment has destroyed the republic and its components, and we must put an end to it before everything collapses, as it will be challenging to restore what has been shattered."
He added, "We must constantly seek sovereign leaders whose decisions are free and not influenced by external forces, unlike the current situation where many politicians are beholden to foreign influences. You live in France because you feel safe, free, and stable, which is the least one should expect in any country. You may have been forced to distance yourself from your land because your homeland has become an unsafe place."
He continued, "I will not reassure you with tales of the mountains of Suwaydan and Fakhr al-Din, but I will confront you with the truth as it is: Lebanon is not well, and the republic is under control. Poverty and collapse affect most segments of society, but things will not continue in their current state for long. We will work with you and every Lebanese wherever they are to pull Lebanon from hell. Those who led us to hell did not deceive us; perhaps for the first time, they succeeded in dragging us to the depths of hell."
"We will not lose hope in rebuilding the state and will not rest in our efforts to re-establish a Lebanese authority that acknowledges the constitution as its book. An authority that governs under military and security powers without partners. While we await the election of a president of the republic, we do not want just any president; the circumstances do not allow for presidents who bow to their references or are products of a dominating militia working to impose its ‘men.’ We certainly do not want a president who is merely a resident of the presidential palace, unaware of what is happening around him."
