Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi stated that politics in Lebanon is suffering from a loss of its noble essence, expressing regret over the absence of statesmen in the country. He attributed the stalled process of electing a president to disagreements regarding the president's affiliation. In his Sunday sermon, he said, "We are faced with a political group devoid of any responsibility, practicing politics solely for its private and sectarian interests, disregarding the common good, which the people entrusted to them under the constitution's preamble."
He noted that it is truly painful to lack statesmen, as evidenced by the fact that none of the politicians, parties, or parliamentary blocs have proposed a serious plan to restore Lebanon from its complete collapse. He pointed out that when some speak, they engage in malice, hatred, militia mentality, personal attacks, and sowing division, which creates obstacles to electing a president. He also mentioned the depletion of the state's treasury through theft, waste, and accountability's absence, alongside the obstruction of the state's income sources due to work halts and strikes, neglecting monitoring systems, and potentially collusion, failure to control customs at seaports and airports, stopping smuggling at borders, and governance issues like renting government buildings in dollars and leasing property in Lebanese pounds while evading taxes on water and electricity, relying on rentier policies instead of production.
He warned that if a president is not elected, the Parliament will lose its legislative authority, and the caretaker government will lack the power to issue executive decisions, putting the state's progress at the mercy of influential and rebellious figures. Politicians would meddle in administration and judiciary actions which leads to chaos and injustice among officials, especially a minister towards a director for sectarian or partisan purposes, exceeding their powers.
Al-Rahi believed that the presidential election falters due to ongoing disputes over whether the president should belong to the so-called opposition or sovereignty groups. He emphasized that the only solution is to rise above this equation and for the people to elect a national president independent of all affiliations, biases, factions, and axes. "This is the president Lebanon needs to gain the trust of everyone at home and all countries abroad, enabling this president to lead needed reforms to receive international and regional aid. This is the top priority and necessity emphasized by the two MPs who have been occupying their seats in Parliament for the past thirty days."
He warned against efforts to prolong the presidential vacancy for ulterior motives that contradict Lebanese identity, arguing that this only enlarges the crime of dismantling state institutions, oppressing Lebanese citizens by impoverishing them and pushing them to emigrate, depriving them of fulfilling themselves and contributing to their country, as seen in other nations that have hosted them.
He stressed that those involved in politics must earnestly work to renew the social contract that guarantees cultural and religious diversity among Lebanese on modern foundations and remove mutual fears so that all individuals and groups look to their national future with hope and confidence, sharing a spirit of responsibility in shaping Lebanon's leading role in the coming decades by capitalizing on its unique characteristics, differential advantages, and cultural values.
